This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Diamond, J. R. Articles by Karnovsky, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Diamond, J. R. Articles by Karnovsky, M. J.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 135, 711-718, Copyright © 1989 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REGULAR ARTICLES

Altered functional characteristics of rat macrophages during nephrosis. Synergistic effects of hypercholesterolemia

JR Diamond, I Pesek, MD McCarter and MJ Karnovsky
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

The effects of alimentary hypercholesterolemia and nephrotic hyperlipidemia, alone and in combination, on rat peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis, basal eicosanoid production, and glomerular macrophage number during peak PA nephrosis were evaluated in rats fed four different diets: 1) normal/standard chow; 2) PA/standard chow; 3) normal/cholesterol-supplemented diet; and 4) PA/cholesterol- supplemented diet. Both PA/standard chow and normal/cholesterol- supplemented rodent groups manifested significantly greater peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis and glomerular macrophage number when compared with normal/standard chow animals. However, the combination of the nephrotic state with superimposed alimentary hypercholesterolemia (PA/cholesterol-supplemented group) produced the greatest rise in these parameters, a rise that was significantly greater than was produced in the three other groups. Regarding basal eicosanoid production by macrophages, there was a numerical trend toward increased production of thromboxane B2 in the PA/standard chow animals and normal/cholesterol- supplemented rats when compared with normal/standard chow. Again, the combination of nephrosis and alimentary hypercholesterolemia in the PA/cholesterol-supplemented group was associated with a significantly greater amount of thromboxane B2 generated when compared with the other three groups. Regarding PGE2 production, there were no significant differences among the groups, despite marked differences in fasting serum lipid levels. This data suggest that there is a synergistic effect between alimentary hypercholesterolemia and the secondary hyperlipidemia of nephrosis in producing these macrophage functional alterations. Because fasting triglyceride values between the two nephrotic groups were indifferent, one can further speculate that it is the elevation of the serum cholesterol value that predominantly evokes these changes in macrophage function.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				X. Z. Ruan, Z. Varghese, and J. F. Moorhead Inflammation modifies lipid-mediated renal injury Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., January 1, 2003; 18(1): 27 - 32. [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Z. A. Pawluczyk and K. P. G. Harris Cholesterol feeding activates macrophages to upregulate rat mesangial cell fibronectin production Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., February 1, 2000; 15(2): 161 - 166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]