Immunosuppressive therapy of organ-specific nephritic autoimmune diseases with 15-deoxyspergualin.

According to its immunopharmacological profile, 15-deoxyspergualin (15-DOS) has been investigated as to its disease-modifying activity on HgCl2-induced glomerulonephritis (GN) and on tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) in Brown-Norway rats. Both models are induced autoimmune disorders in which afflicted animals display high levels of serum autoantibodies directed against the glomerular or tubular basement membrane (GBM or TBM), respectively. The diseases are manifested by high serum creatinine and urea levels with severe proteinuria. In the model of HgCl2-GN, administration of 15-DOS clearly led to a reduction of proteinuria and decreased the amount of rat IgG attached to the GBM. Furthermore, a therapeutic effect could be demonstrated when 15-DOS was given after the appearance of clinical symptoms. Not only urine-protein values but also anti-laminin antibodies returned to normal levels. Also in the experimental TIN-model, 15-DOS, either given during the induction phase, or even late in the onset of the disease, strongly prevented the proteinuria of this autoimmune disease and inhibited the formation of autoantibodies to TBN.