Effects of ancrod and rtPA on fibrin accumulation, glomerular inflammation and renal function in nephrotoxic nephritis.

We have compared the effects of ancrod and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) on nephrotoxic nephritis induced in pre-immunized rabbits by the administration of nephrotoxic globulin (NTG; sheep anti-rabbit glomerular basement membrane). We used three different doses of NTG: in each experiment three groups of six rabbits were preimmunized with normal sheep globulin and given NTG: group A received no further treatment; group B received rtPA, 2 mg/kg 12 hourly; group C received ancrod 2 U/kg 12 hourly. Animals were bled daily for estimation of plasma fibrinogen and serum creatinine, then killed on day 5 and kidneys removed for histology. 1 ml/kg of NTG caused massive glomerular necrosis, all three groups having severe renal failure. With 0.5 ml/kg of NTG, ancrod and rtPA both effectively prevented fibrin deposition in Bowman's space, but all animals had severe proliferative glomerulonephritis and marked renal failure. With 0.25 ml/kg of NTG, control animals developed severe proliferative nephritis and advanced renal failure, ancrod provided almost complete protection, and the rtPA group had renal injury and functional impairment intermediate between the other two groups. We conclude that renal failure in severe nephrotoxic nephritis is fibrin-independent, but in less fulminant nephritis renal function can be protected by defibrination with ancrod. rtPA is capable of reducing glomerular fibrin accumulation as effectively as ancrod, but provides inferior protection of renal function.