Quantitative assessment of the effects of platelet depletion in the autologous phase of nephrotoxic serum nephritis.

The effects of platelet depletion with antibody have been studied in two models of the autologous phase of nephrotoxic nephritis in the rabbit. In the 'telescoped' model (animals pre-immunized to sheep IgG injected with sheep nephrotoxic antibody), platelet depletion did not alter intraglomerular fibrin deposition or evidence of glomerular damage, but did significantly reduce proteinuria during the first 3 days of the 5 day experiment. In the 'passive' model (animals injected with hyperimmune rabbit antiserum to sheep IgG 48 hr after sheep nephrotoxic antibody and killed 3 hr later), platelet depletion was associated with significantly fewer intraglomerular polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), but again did not alter intraglomerular fibrin deposition. The results indicate that platelets are involved in the initiation of glomerular PMN localization in the autologous phase, but that fibrin-induced glomerular injury is platelet-independent.