Losartan attenuates the coronary perivasculitis through its local and systemic anti-inflammatory properties in a murine model of Kawasaki disease.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease is a common systemic vasculitis that leads to coronary artery lesions. Besides its antihypertensive effects, losartan can modulate inflammation in cardiovascular disease. We examined whether losartan can attenuate coronary inflammation in a murine model of Kawasaki disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five-wk-old C57/BL6J male mice were intraperitoneally injected with Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract to induce coronary inflammation and divided into four groups placebo, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), losartan, and IVIG+losartan. After 2 wk, mice were harvested. The coronary perivasculitis was significantly attenuated by losartan but not by IVIG alone, and further dramatic attenuation by IVIG+losartan was observed. The frequency of Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract-induced myocarditis (80%) was markedly lowered by losartan (22%) and IVIG+losartan (0%). Furthermore, interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA was markedly attenuated by IVIG+losartan. Serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-10 after Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract injection were slightly decreased by IVIG or losartan. Moreover, IL-1ß, IL-10, and MCP-1 levels were significantly decreased by IVIG+losartan. CONCLUSION: The addition of losartan to IVIG strongly attenuated the severity of coronary perivasculitis and the incidence of myocarditis, along with suppressing systemic/local cytokines as well as the activated macrophage infiltration. Therefore, losartan may be a potentially useful additive drug for the acute phase of Kawasaki disease to minimize coronary artery lesions.