Effects of aspirin, prednisolone and indomethacin on nephrotoxic serum nephritis in the rat.

1 The effects of aspirin, prednisolone, and indomethacin on nephrotoxic serum nephritis in rats was studied. The nephritis was induced by a single intravenous injection of nephrotoxic serum (NTS, rabbit anti-serum against the water-soluble renal antigen of the rat). The injection of NTS induced the heterologous phase of proteinuria (within a day after NTS injection) and then the autologous phase (5 to 7 days after NTS injection). The effect of drugs given before the NTS (i.e. prophylactically) or after the NTS (i.e. therapeutically) was investigated. 2 Aspirin, which was given orally at doses of 150 and 250 mg/kg daily from the day before NTS injection, suppressed the development of proteinuria in both the heterologous and the autologous phase, and lowered the serum cholesterol level towards the normal level. Aspirin (250 mg/kg daily, orally) had no significant effect against the established proteinuria in the autologous phase. 3 Prednisolone, which was given orally at doses of 3 and 5 mg/kg daily from the day before NTS injection, elevated the proteinuria in the heterologous phase, while inhibiting the development of proteinuria in the autologous phase. Prednisolone (5 mg/kg daily, orally) was ineffective against established proteinuria in the autologous phase. 5 Indomethacin (3 mg/kg daily, orally) did not exert any significant effect on proteinuria in either the heterologous or the autologous phase.