Imatinib ameliorates renal disease and survival in murine lupus autoimmune disease

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been proved to play an important role in progressive glomerular disease of systemic lupus. The present study investigated the tyrosine kinase inhibitor of PDGF receptor, imatinib, as a novel therapeutic approach for the cure of lupus nephritis in New Zealand Black/White (NZB/W)F1 hybrid mice with established disease. Two groups of NZB/W mice (N=30 each group), starting at 5 months of age, were given by gavage vehicle or imatinib (50 mg/kg b.i.d). Fifteen mice for each group were used for the survival study. The remaining were killed at 8 months. Imatinib significantly (P=0.0022) ameliorated animal survival with respect to vehicle. The drug significantly delayed the onset of proteinuria (% proteinuric mice, 7 and 8 months: 33 and 47 vs vehicle, 80 and 87, P