Abstract:
It has been found that by administering secoisolariciresinol  2,3-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)butane-1,4-diol! from flaxseed in substantially pure form to a human or non-human animal, lupus nephritis can be controlled. The secoisolariciresinol (Seco) may be used per se or in the form of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). Both compounds may be extracted from flaxseed and the SDG converts to Seco in the gut of a human or animal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a method for the treatment of lupus nephritis. 
     Lupus nephritis is considered in medical circles to be the &#34;classical&#34; auto-immune disease in which the patient&#39;s immune system attacks his/her own organs. It has been estimated that 45-75% of lupus patient&#39;s eventually suffer from some form or other of kidney damage. Lupus varies greatly in severity from mild cases requiring minimal intervention to those in which significant damage occurs to vital organs such as lungs, kidneys, heart and brain, and which ultimately can be fatal. Lupus is predominantly a female disease, an approximate female to male ratio being 9:1. In North America, it is estimated to affect 1 in 500 female mainly between the age of 20 to 40 years. Treatment is directed at controlling the symptoms with the hope of putting the disease into remission. There are several chemotherapeutic agents in commercial use and available for remedial purposes. Most of these agents are not without side effects, some of which are severe and debilitating to the patient. Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents may cause stomach upsets and changes in kidney function which can mimic some lupus symptoms themselves. Some anti-malarial drugs, when required at high dosage levels over prolonged time frame, may accumulate in the retina and cause loss of vision. Certain steroidal preparations are used for their anti-inflammatory activity. These can exhibit side effects such as pronounced swelling of the face and abdomen, weight gain, excessive growth of body hair, cataracts, osteoporosis and heart attacks. Use of immunosuppressants can have serious side effects such as changes in bone marrow, increased risk of infection to which the body normally shows resistance and a slight increase in the risk of developing certain types of cancer. There is no known cure for lupus. 
     Several reports have appeared in the scientific and medical literature concerning the ability of ground flaxseed to act as a mediator in the partial control of Lupus nephritis. At a level of intake of up to 30 grams per day, ground flaxseed has been shown to reduce the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels by 12% and improve renal function in patients with lupus nephritis  (Clark, Parbtani et al., (1995) Flaxseed: A potential treatment for lupus nephritis, Kidney International 48: 475-480!. Beyond this intake level, side effects are evident such as Taxation probably due to increased fibre/mucilage intake. 
     Flaxseed is known to contain certain chemical entities such as alpha-linolenic acid which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, cell mediated immunity, PAF production by PMN leucocytes and platelet aggregation. Further studies have revealed that in a survey of foodstuffs for their ability to produce enterodiol and enterolactone (both mediators of cancer control mechanisms), flax was 60 times greater than the next ranking entry in its ability to produce these mediators. Enterodiol and enterolactone are trivially referred to as lignans and contain a structural backbone of dibenzylbutane. The most abundant lignan detected in flax is secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). It is known that when SDG is ingested, it is enzymatically hydrolyzed to the aglycone and transformed by intestinal microflora into enterodiol and enterolactone. 
     The existence of SDG has been known for 40 years and its extraction and purification were described at the laboratory level by Bakke and Klosterman (1956), A new diglucoside from flaxseed, Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Science 10: 18-22. However, most studies with SDG, and with other lignan types from other plant sources, have remained in the realm of scientific curiosity, since there has never been a demonstrated approach to the economical extraction and purification of this component. 
     Although the consumption of whole ground flaxmeal may offer some potential for the control or alleviation of certain medical disorders, a major drawback lies in the fact that only up to 30-45 g of this product can be consumed on a daily basis. The limitation is due to some readily apparent side effects such as increased Taxation, believed due to the presence of a mucilaginous substance, and also to progressive weight gain resulting from the rather high caloric value of the oil component. Flax contains upwards of 40% oil. The use of whole ground flaxseed or meal is also restricted in part because of the presence of cyanogenic glycosides present in the seed. 
     In Westcott and Muir, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/415,050, filed Mar. 31, 1995, there is described a practical method of extracting and purifying SDG, the principal lignan from flax. 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of using flaxseed for treatment of lupus nephritis without the aforementioned drawbacks of Taxation, cyanogenic glycosides, and caloric loads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with this invention, it has been found that by administering secoisolariciresinol  2,3-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)butane-1,4-diol! from flaxseed in substantially pure form to a human or non-human animal, lupus nephritis can be controlled. This is achieved without the undesirable side effects of Taxation, cyanogenic glycosides and caloric loads. 
     The secoisolariciresinol (Seco) may be used per se or in the form of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). It is known that SDG is a precursor for Seco, as well as for the mammalian lignans, enterodiol and enterolactone, and it has been found that when SDG is orally administered to a human or animal, it is converted to secoisolariciresinol in the gut of the human or animal. The SDG has the advantage over Seco for oral administration that SDG has greater water solubility. 
     The SDG is typically used at a high degree of purity of over 90%, with a purity of over 95% being the preferred. It can be administered orally or intravenously, and has been found to be highly effective when administered in a daily oral dosage of about 20 to 100 mg/kg of body weight. The oral doses may conveniently be in the form of tablets or capsules and the SDG may be used together with a variety of pharmaceutically acceptable diluents or carriers. 
     SDG may be obtained from flaxseed by an extraction technique, such as that described in Wescott and Muir, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/415,050, filed Mar. 31, 1995 (incorporated therein by reference). The SDG may be converted to secoisolariciresinol by incubation with β-glucuronidase. It is also possible to obtain secoisolariciresinol directly from flaxseed using β-glucuronidase as described by obermeyer et al., Chemical studies of phytoestrogens and related compounds in dietary supplements: flax and chaparral, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 208, 1995 (incorporated herein by reference). 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a graph of lignin content in urine samples according to Example 7. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting Examples. These Examples also serve to differentiate the specificity of action of SDG from the more general action of either whole ground flaxseed, defatted flax meal and flax oil, rich in alpha-linolenic acid as well as mucilage and fibre. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     The MRL/lpr mouse model of lupus was chosen to study the effects of SDG on experimental nephritis since it represents the human disease in terms of immune and inflammatory reactions, and age-related renal function deterioration leading to progressive glomerular scarring. The experimental design for all evaluations of the effects of SDG on physiological function is given in Table 1. 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________Experimental design for the evaluation of the effectof SDG on the physiological functions and mortalityin the MRL/lpr mouse: Number of mice used andassigned for each age interval of the study.                              NUMBER OF                              MICEAge       6 weeks 14 weeks  22 weeks                              ASSIGNED______________________________________Baseline Study     10                       10GroupVehicle           10        10     25*Control GroupLow-Lignan        10        10     25*Group(600 μg/day)High-Lignan       10        10     25*Group(1200 μg/day)______________________________________ *For a 3 group comparison by ANOVA, the appropriate sample size was calculated to be 10 mice per experimental group per ageinterval. Extra 5 mice were set aside in anticipation of loss due to mortality/morbidity associated with the disease. 
    
     Mice were obtained at 5 weeks of age from Jackson Laboratories, Me., U.S.A., and acclimatized for one week. From 6 weeks of age onwards, all groups were gavaged with 200 μl/day of water. The appropriate amount of SDG was dissolved in the water to administer either the low-dose (600 μg/day) or the high-dose (1200 μg/day) of SDG. 
     All procedures relating to the care and welfare of test animals within this experimental protocol conformed to the following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) approved by the Council of Animal Care, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada: 
     SOP 301-10: Holding period post admission 
     SOP 340-01: Surgical Preparation, rodents 
     SOP 330-01: Post-operative care, rodents. 
     Mortality/morbidity was recorded weekly. For humane reasons, any animal which became morbid was sacrificed and was included in the mortality count. Morbidity was judged according to the SOP-321-01: Criteria for Early Termination of Experiment which included signs such as hunched posture, loss of appetite and/or severe weight loss, exudating skin lesions and immobility/severe state of letargy. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     This example illustrates the effect of SDG on the body weight of MRL/lpr lupus mice in compared to the control group. The daily dosage was administered over a 17-week period (6 to 22 weeks of age). 
     
                                           TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________Effect of SDG on Body Weight (g) (mean = SD)Age  wk5 wk7 wk9 wk11                wk13                    wk15                        wk17                            wk19                                wk21                                    w22__________________________________________________________________________Control25 ± 2    26 ± 2        27 ± 2            30 ± 3                32 ± 3                    35 ± 4                        37 ± 3                            37 ± 3                                39 ± 3                                    37 ± 3Low- 25 ± 2    26 ± 3        27 ± 3            29 ± 3                31 ± 3                    33 ± 3                        36 ± 3                            37 ± 3                                38 ± 4                                    38 ± 3Lignangp(600 μg/day)High-25 ± 2    26 ± 2        27 ± 2            29 ± 2                31 ± 3                    34 ± 3                        37 ± 3                            38 ± 3                                39 ± 3                                    38 ± 3Lignangp(1200 μg/day)__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     The data of Table 2 show that there was no significant difference in the body weight gain in the different treatment groups which was in keeping with our observation of no significant difference in either the food or water intake. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     This example shows the effect of SDG on the time of onset and prevalence of proteinuria which is an early sign and a measure of severity of renal involvement in the lupus mouse. 
     
                                           TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________The effect of SDG on the onset and prevalcen ofproteinuria (% of mice with ≧ 2 proteinuria onAlbustix ® )   wks      wk wk           wk             wk               wk                 wk                   wk                     wk                       wk                         wk                           wk                             wk                               wkAge     6-8      9  10           11             12               13                 14                   15                     16                       17                         18                           19                             20                               21__________________________________________________________________________Control 0  4  8 8 8 8 33                   43                     36                       46                         38                           38                             53                               46Low-Lignan gp   0  0  0 0 0 0 17                   21                     21                       23                         38                           38                             38                               27(600 μg/day)High-Lignan gp   0  0  0 4 4 4  4                    7                      7                        7                         21                           36                             50                               43(1200 μg/day)__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     Gavaging was commenced at the age of 6 weeks in all groups. 
     The data support the view that both low and high dosages of SDG delay the onset of proteinuria and reduce the prevalence of proteinuria. 
     EXAMPLE 4 
     This example illustrates the effect of SDG on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) assessed by  14  C-inulin clearance. The data are given in Table 4. 
     
                       TABLE 4______________________________________The effect of SDG on the GFR (ml/min/kg body weight)(mean = SD)BASELINE TREATMENT6 wks of age    GROUPS      14 wks of age                            22 wks of age______________________________________7.66 ± 2.82    Control     6.10 ± 2.50                            .sup.  3.47 ± 1.31a(n = 9)              (n = 9)     (n = 9)    Low-Lignan  7.41 ± 3.88                            4.81 ± 1.49     (600 μg/day)                (n = 10)    (n = 10)    High-Lignan 8.09 ± 2.74                            5.33 ± 3.16    (1200 μg/day)                (n = 9)     (n = 10)______________________________________ a:Significantly lower compared to the baseline value obtained at 6 weeks of age. 
    
     These data suggest that SDG attenuates the decline of renal function (GFR) which was observed in the vehicle treated control group. The data also indicate a dose-dependant benefit of SDG. 
     EXAMPLE 5 
     The MRL/lpr mice exhibit sever, age-related lymphadenopathy. We therefore examined the effects of low and high dosages of SDG on a deep cervical lymph node in these animals. The data are given in Table 5. 
     
                       TABLE 5______________________________________The effects of SDG on cervical lymph node weights(mg) in MRL/lpr miceBASELINE TREATMENT6 wks of age    GROUPS      14 wks of age                            22 wks of age______________________________________13 ± 5    Control     112 ± 75a                            190 ± 93a(n = 10)             (n = 10)    (n = 10)    Low-Lignan  97 ± 69a 251 ± 91a    11 600 μg/day)                (n = 10)    (n = 10)    High-Lignan 71 ± 65.sup.                              211 ± 58a,b    (1200 μg/day)                (n = 10)    (n = 10)______________________________________ a:significantly greater than the baseline values b:significantly greater than 14 week values for animals receiving same treatment. 
    
     The data was non-normally distributed therefore, a non parametric (Kruskal-Wallis) statistical test was used. The only beneficial difference observed was that the high dose of SDG attenuated the increase in lymph node weight at/up to 14 weeks of age. 
     EXAMPLE 6 
     The MRL/lpr mouse also exhibits a spontaneous age-related splenomegaly. We therefore examined the effects of low and high dosages of SDG on spleen weight. The spleen weight index was obtained as a ratio of spleen to body weight (×100). The data are given in Table 6. 
     
                       TABLE 6______________________________________The effect of SDG on the Spleen Weight/Body WeightRatio (×100)BASELINE TREATMENT6 wks of age    GROUPS      14 wks of age                            22 wks of age______________________________________0.33 ± 0.07    Control     1.02 ± 0.33a                            1.72 ± 0.46a,b(n = 10)             (n = 10)    (n = 10)    Low-Lignan  0.93 ± 0.33a                            1.89 ± 0.39a,b     (600 μg/day)                (n = 10)    (n = 10)    High-Lignan 0.77 ± 0.26a                            1.74 ± 0.35a,b    (1200 μg/day)                (n = 10)    (n = 10)______________________________________ 
    
     Data analyzed by ANOVA followed by Bonferroni t-tests 
     The data of Example 6 show that there was no significant difference in the spleen weight index in the different groups, however at 14 weeks age-interval, the high dose SDG group showed a moderately smaller spleen weight gain compared to other groups. 
     The results cited in Examples 5 and 6 taken together indicate moderate benefits of SDG in terms of reducing cell proliferation, a marker of immune and inflammatory activity of the auto-immune diseases. 
     EXAMPLE 7 
     Using the same preparations and procedures as described in Examples 1-6, mice were gavaged with water containing SDG. The mice were dosed with the SDG in amounts of 0.6, 1.2 and 4.8 mg/mouse. 
     Urine samples from the mice were then analysed for lignans. The results are shown in FIG. 1, which shows the contents of secoisolariciresinol, enterolactone and enterodiol in the urine. These results indicate that the secoisolariciresinol concentrations in the urine are SDG dose dependent, while only traces of the mammalian lignans are present. Since it is generally accepted that diglycosides, such as SDG, are not absorbed across the gut wall, the above results indicate that in oral administration of SDG, the active compound is secoisolariciresinol. 
     EXAMPLE 8 
     Secoisolariciresinol was also obtained by incubating purified SDG with β-glucuronidase from Heliz pornatia (Type H-1, Sigma Chemical). After the incubation, secoisolariciresinol was recovered from the incubation mixture by ethyl acetate extraction. The secoisolariciresinol thus obtained was then further purified by prep HPLC and freeze dried out of water.