Butein (3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone) ameliorates experimental anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-associated glomerulonephritis (3).

The antinephritic effects of butein (3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone) on original-type anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-associated glomerulonephritis in rats were investigated. Butein was given to anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-associated glomerulonephritic rats for 15 days after the induction of nephritis. Butein prevented proteinuria and histological alterations. The up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and increase in leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) positive cells in nephritic glomeruli significantly declined with butein treatment. In the further investigation to clarify the effects of butein on ICAM-1 expression, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with butein in the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Butein prevented the up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression mediated by TNF-alpha or PMA on human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. When human umbilical vein endothelial cells or neutrophils were treated with butein, the adhesion of neutrophils to human umbilical vein endothelial cells was suppressed. These data suggest that the antinephritic action of butein is due to inhibition of intraglomerular accumulation of leukocytes through the prevention of the up-regulation of ICAM-1 and the inhibition of a function of adhesion molecules on the surface of leukocytes.