Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors and primary antibody response in experimental nephrotic syndrome

The effect of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis inhibitors on the primary antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) in rats with aminonucleoside-of-puromycin (AP) nephrosis was studied. The response to SRBC was determined 5 days after intraperitoneal administration of SRBC by measuring IgM antibody-forming spleen cells (AFC). In nephrotic rats, SRBC were injected when animals were fully nephrotic. A significant decrease in the number of AFC (P less than 0.05) and a significant increase in the plasma concentration of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (P less than 0.02) were observed in 22 nephrotic rats compared to 24 normal rats. Treatment of nephrotic rats with indomethacin (5 mg/kg per day, 8 rats) and aspirin (200 mg/kg per day, 7 rats) initiated before the development of nephrosis returned the antibody response and the plasma level of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha to normal, while the same treatment in control rats did not alter the antibody response. These data suggest that in AP nephrosis the observed decrease in antibody response to SRBC is likely due to an increase in PG production at the time of immunization.