Treatment of hyperlipidemia with probucol suppresses the development of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in chronic aminonucleoside nephrosis.

We have recently reported that a lipid-lowering agent, probucol, reduces proteinuria in puromycin aminonucleoside (PA)-induced nephrotic rats (PAN). In this study, we examined whether a long-term treatment of hyperlipidemia with probucol can suppress the development of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in chronic PAN. A chronic PAN model was made with repeated intraperitoneal injections of PA (initially 100 mg/kg body weight followed by 25 mg/kg 5 times at 2-week intervals). Two weeks after the first injection of PA, either normal rat chow with or without 1% probucol was given to the nephrotic rats for 10 weeks. Chronic PAN exhibited remarkable proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and severe hyperlipidemia with all lipoprotein fractions increased. Probucol treatment significantly reduced the lipid concentration in all major lipoproteins, significantly reduced proteinuria and increased plasma albumin concentration. Plasma albumin inversely correlated with cholesterol or phospholipid in low-density and high-density lipoproteins, suggesting that the lipid-lowering effect of probucol may ameliorate the hypoalbuminemia associated with nephrosis. In light microscopic examination, various degrees of FSGS with tubulointerstitial lesions were observed in the renal cortex from chronic PAN. The degree of FSGS was scored from grades 1 to 4 according to severity. One half of the untreated PAN (4/8) was classified into grade 4 and the other into grades 2 or 3, whilst one half of treated PAN (4/8) was classified either into grade 1 or 2. The grading of FSGS correlated negatively with plasma albumin concentration. These results demonstrate that probucol is highly effective upon nephrotic hyperlipidemia and suggest that a long-term treatment of secondary hyperlipidemia can suppress progressive renal injury associated with chronic nephrosis.