Effect of a specific endothelin A receptor antagonist on murine lupus nephritis

The present study was designed to assess whether a specific endothelin A (ETA) receptor antagonist, FR139317, affects the progression of lupus nephritis and affects transcription of mRNA for extracellular matrix (ECM) components, metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, and accumulation of ECM proteins in the renal cortex of NZB/W F1 mice. mRNA levels for alpha 1(I), alpha 1(III), alpha 1(IV) collagen chains, laminin B1 and B2 chains, heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), MMP-1, -2, -3, and TIMP-1 increased significantly as nephritis progressed in NZB/W F1 mice. At 48 weeks of age, the levels of mRNA for alpha 1(I), alpha 1(III), alpha 1(IV) collagen chains, laminin B1 and B2 chains, HSPG, MMP-1, -2, -3, and TIMP-1 were increased by 5.6- (P < 0.001), 3.6- (P < 0.01), 6.8- (P < 0.001), 5.2- (P < 0.001), 5.0- (P < 0.001), 6.0- (P < 0.001), 7.6- (P < 0.001), 4.2- (P < 0.01), 8.2- (P < 0.001), and 15.2-fold (P < 0.001), respectively, in the renal cortex of NZB/W F1 mice compared to NZW mice. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that the accumulation of collagens I, III, and IV, laminin, and HSPG in the renal cortex of NZB/W F1 mice increased markedly with the progression of nephritis. At 20 weeks of age, NZB/W F1 and NZW mice were divided into two groups that received either FR139317 or its vehicle (saline) intraperitoneally, daily, for 28 weeks. The development of histological lesions, proteinuria, hypertension, accumulation of collagens I, III, and IV, laminin, and HSPG in the renal cortex of NZB/W F1 mice were suppressed by FR139317 treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)