Advanced IgA nephropathy with impaired renal function benefits from losartan treatment in rats

AbstractBackground: Treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) is successful in mitigating IgA nephropathy (IgAN), independent of blood pressure changes, but the therapeutic role of ARB in advanced IgAN with impaired renal function is to be ascertained. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of losartan on advanced IgAN induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) combined with 5/6 nephrectomy in rats. Methods: Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into three group: Rats in the model group were treated with SEB plus 5/6 nephrectomy, and those in the losartan group were gavaged with losartan (33.3 mg kg−1 d−1) besides the treatment with SEB plus 5/6 nephrectomy. The urine and blood biochemical changes of rats were tested. IgA, IgG, IgM and C3 depositions were studied dynamically with immunofluorescence. The renal tissue structures were observed under light microscopy. The expressions of TGF-β1, FN, alpha-SMA and FGF-1 in rat renal tissues were determined with immunohist...