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Immunomodulating activity of allopurinol in experimental lens-induced uveitis

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Abstract

• Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulating activity of allopurinol using a model of lens-induced uveitis (LIU) and to compare these effects to those of steroids. • Methods: We tested the sera of both LIU and control rats against western blots (WB) of SDS-PAGE separations of protein fractions from normal and LIU rat lenses. These blots were scanned using digital image analysis. A newly developed technique was used to compare the complex autoantibody (AAB) repertoires. Five groups of LIU rats were investigated: no treatment; single doses of methylprednisolone (MPR; 7.5 mg/kg body wt. i.v.); allopurinol (AL; 50 mg/kg body wt. i.v.); a combination of both drugs (AL and MPR); repeated application of AL (ALFR; 50 mg/kg body wt. i.v. every 2 weeks during the immunization period and a daily dose of approx. 25 mg/kg body wt. orally). • Results: Immunization induced complex antibody repertoires against lens proteins. Antibody repertoires of LIU rats were identical, regardless of whether the proteins were obtained from control, uveitis eyes, or corresponding healthy eyes of the same individual. AL showed a dose-dependent immunological effect in LIU treatment. Given as a single dose, AL revealed no significant change in the AAB repertoire; however, ALFR showed very clear modification of the AAB repertoires compared to both controls and rats receiving steroids. • Conclusions: These results suggest dose-dependent effects of allopurinol in LIU treatment. Repeated application during the immunization period induced a strong immunomodulating effect of AL that was not observed after single doses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105, Bonn, Germany

    Franz-H. Grus, Albert J. Augustin, Manfred Spitznas & Walter Sekundo

  2. Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Essen, Germany

    Christoph W. Zimmermann

  3. Department of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany

    Joachim Lutz

Authors
  1. Franz-H. Grus
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  2. Albert J. Augustin
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  3. Christoph W. Zimmermann
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  4. Manfred Spitznas
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  5. Walter Sekundo
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  6. Joachim Lutz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Franz-H. Grus.

Additional information

Supported by “Aktion Kampf der Erblindung”, BONFOR 101/03, and DFG Au 126/1-1.

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Grus, FH., Augustin, A.J., Zimmermann, C.W. et al. Immunomodulating activity of allopurinol in experimental lens-induced uveitis. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 235, 118–123 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00941740

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00941740

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