Oral Enzymes in Different Animal Models of Glomerulonephritis
Emancipator S.N.,1 Chintalacharuvu S.R.,1 Urankar Nagy N.,1 Stauder G.2. Oral Enzymes in Different Animal Models of Glomerulonephritis. Int J. Immunotherapy 1997, Vol. XIII, No. 3/4, pp. 97-103 - ISSN 0255-9625 SO 112 (19-04-2)- (5-07-2)
1 Institute of Pathology and Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA, 2 Clinical Research, MUCOS Pharma GmbH, Geretsried, Germany.
Summary: Systemic or oral proteolytic enzymes
ameliorate any of several glomerulonephritides in mice, rats or
rabbits. Recently, in rats with membranous nephropathy induced by
cationized antigen, oral Phlogenzym® therapy
progressively diminished proteinuria and hyperlipidemia (ultimately
by 50%) over a 2-week period, whereas untreated diseased controls
showed stable and sustained proteinuria and hyperlipidemia. At
sacrifice, the amount of glomerular immune deposits, assessed by
semiquantitative immunofluorescence and quantitative electron
microscopy were 45% of the amount in controls. Moreover, when this
model was sustained for 7 months, glomerulosclerosis involved an
average of approximately 80% of the glomeruli in untreated rats with
nephrosis; whereas two different preparations of proteolytic
enzymes, given intraperitoneally, had a significant sparing effect
on glomeruli. Only 25% of the glomeruli from rats in either
protease-treated group appeared sclerotic, as compared to 12% in
nondiseased age-matched controls.
We conclude that enzyme therapy diminishes the clinical signs and
morphologic lesions of immune complex glomerulonephritis; reduces
the immune deposits; and, prevents or retards the progression to end
stage renal disease.