FURTHER EXPLORATION OF ADRENOMEDULLIN AS A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC PEPTIDE FOR LUPUS NEPHRITIS USING MRL/FAS LPR MOUSE MODEL

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the production of a wide range of autoantibodies. The disease activity of SLE has been found to be correlated with the level of plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) in patients with SLE. ADM is a novel peptide that consists of 52 amino acids and was first identified in human phaeochromoctyoma. It has been demonstrated ADM is a potent vasodilator and plays an important role in mediating the immune system. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ADM on the disease progression of lupus-like disease and glomerular deposition of immune complexes in MRL/Faslpr autoimmune mice. Besides, the effect of ADM on cultured splenocytes extracted from MRL/Faslpr mice was also investigated. Results obtained suggested that ADM might play a role in regulating proliferation and apoptosis of the B lymphocytes, and the development of glomerulonephritis in establishing lupus-like disease.