Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy attenuates disease severity in lupus-prone autoimmune (NZB NZW) F1 mice

AbstractThe effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy on the immune system are reported including potential changes to the CD4/CD8 ratio anda decreased proliferation of lymphocytes during exposure. The immunosuppressive effect of HBO2 had been suggested to be applicable for thetreatment of certain autoimmune diseases. (NZB NZW) F1 hybrid mice, the unique lupus-prone mice, have been used for elucidating thepathogenesis of SLE. To investigate the effect of HBO2 on NZB/W F1 lupus-prone mice, 32 female mice were divided into four groups. Three groups of mice were treated with HBO2 (2.5 atm abs (ATA) for 90 min daily over 2 weeks) starting at (A) 3 months, (B) 6 months, or (C) 8 months of age, while the remaining group (D) served as control. Animals were followed until 11 months of age. Experimental parameters included life span, proteinuria, peripheral lymphocytes, anti-dsDNA antibody titers, and renal histopathology. HBO2 treatment resulted in increased survival, decreased proteinuria, alterations in lymphocyte-subset redistribution, reduced anti-dsDNA antibody titers, and amelioration of immune-complex deposition in groups A and B. Our data demonstrated that HBO2 therapy attenuated disease severity in NZB/W F1 mice. HBO2 treatment may be of use in the clinical treatment of lupus patients and would benefit from further study.