Celastrol alleviates murine lupus nephritis via inducting CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is an autoimmune glomerulonephritis secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus. Commonly, immunosuppressive agents are required for treating LN. However, frequent use of conventional immunosuppressants may produce a variety of side effects. Hence, seeking alternative drugs for treating LN is very important. This report aims to figure out the immunoregulatory efficacy of celastrol (CLT) in LN.

Methods: A spontaneous in vivo model of LN was established in FasL-deficient B6/gld mice. ELISA was used for analyzing serum creatinine (Scr) and anti-dsDNA levels in mice. IHC staining, immunofluorescence and hematoxylin-eosin and PAS staining were applied to determine renal immunopathology and histology. Cytokine gene levels were assessed using RT qPCR. CD4+Foxp3+ Treg frequency in murine kidneys, lymph nodes and spleens was determined using flow cytometry analysis.

Results: CLT treatment alleviated renal dysfunction and renal injury in LN-prone B6/gld mice. Moreover, CLT reduced CD3+ T cell infiltration and inhibited proinflammatory cytokine expression in renal tissues of B6/gld mice. Importantly, CLT enhanced CD4+FoxP3+ Treg frequency in kidneys, lymph nodes and spleens of B6/gld mice.

Conclusions: CLT exerts therapeutic effects on murine LN by improving renal function and immunopathology and inducing CD4+FoxP3+ Tregs.