Effects of fibrinogen degradation products on glomerular mesangial cells in culture.

We investigated effects of fibrin, fibrinogen, and fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) on human glomerular mesangial cells in culture, using the methods of cell count, 3[H] thymidine uptake and 51Cr release. Incorporation of 3[H] thymidine by the cells was much the same with various concentrations of fibrin and similar to findings in the control without fibrin. Fibrinogen, FDP-D, -E, low molecular weight FDP (LMWFDP) fractions 1 and 3 had no promoting effects on mesangial cell proliferation. The LMWFDP fraction 2 showed a suppressive effect on the proliferation of cultured cells and increase of 51Cr release from the cells. The cytotoxic effect of this fraction was dose-dependent. These results suggest that while fibrin deposition in the renal glomeruli does not relate with mesangial hypercellularity, this deposition plays a role in mesangiolysis, through the production of FDPs.