Trapadil (Mochida Pharmaceuticals, Japan), an antiplatelet drug, suppresses the growth of several cell types and is thought to antagonize platelet-derived growth factor. The effects of trapidil on mesangial-cell proliferation in glomerulonephritis induced by anti-thymocyte serum in Wistar rats were investigated. Control rats were treated with phosphate-buffered saline (group I); group II rats were injected with a single dose of anti-thymocyte serum (8 ml/kg body weight), and group III rats were treated with both a single dose of anti-thymocyte serum (8 ml/kg body weight) and with trapidil (5 mg/kg body weight/day). Three rats in each group were killed on day 3, and the other three on day 10. Control rats showed no significant histological changes on day 3 or day 10. In group II, on day 3, there was a marked decrease in glomerular cell numbers, with mesangiolysis. Histologically severe mesangial-cell proliferation with expansion of mesangial areas was noted on day 10. None of the rats in group III showed mesangial alterations, histologically, indicating that mesangial-cell proliferation was suppressed by trapidil. This suppression may result from antagonism of the binding of platelet derived growth factor to the specific surface receptors in the mesangial cells. Trapidil may have clinical value in the treatment of mesangial-cell proliferative glomerular diseases.
Inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor-induced mesangial cell proliferation by cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression is abolished through reactive oxygen species
