Viral infections can exacerbate multiple sclerosis (MS) through poorly defined mechanisms. We developed an experimental system whereby infection with an asymptomatic neurotropic alphavirus caused a transient acceleration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) without altering the expansion or differentiation of autoreactive CD4+ T cells. Instead, this effect on the clinical course o...

Uric acid, the naturally occurring product of purine metabolism, is a strong peroxynitrite scavenger, as demonstrated by the capacity to bind peroxynitrite but not nitric oxide (NO) produced by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells of a mouse monocyte line. In this study, we used uric acid to treat experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the PLSJL strain of mice, which develop a chronic ...

Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcription factor that regulates interferon-induced genes and type I interferons. Recently, studies of IRF-l-deficient mice have revealed that IRF-I regulates the induction of molecules that play important roles in inflammation, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin-l beta-converting enzyme (ICE). To study the role of IRF-1...

We investigated the role of CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions in multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Activated helper T cells expressing CD40L (gp39) surface protein were found in MS patient brain sections, but not in brain tissue sections of normal controls or patients with other neurological disease. CD40L-positive cells were co-localized with CD40-b...

PURPOSE Optic neuritis affects most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and current treatments are unreliable. The purpose of this study was to characterize the contribution of Th1 and Th17 cells to the development of optic neuritis. METHODS Mice were passively transferred myelin-specific Th1 or Th17 cells to induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of neuroautoimmun...

Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana, induces catalepsy-like immobilization and impairment of spatial memory in rats. Delta9-THC also induces aggressive behavior in isolated housing stress. These abnormal behaviors could be counteracted by SR141716A, a CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist. Also Delta9-THC inhibited release of glutamate in the do...

Dark Agouti (DA) rats are highly susceptible to induction of Th-1-mediated autoimmunity disease, including experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). In contrast to other susceptible rat strains in which disease is induced only with encephalitogen emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvants (CFA), in DA rats EAE develops after injection of encephalitogen in incomplete Freund's adjuvants (IFA)...

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the most widely accepted in vivo animal model of Multiple sclerosis (MS). EAE model are most suitable for analysis of immunogenetic elements (major histocompatibility complex) and for the study of histological features (inflammation, demyelination and degeneration) of the disease for screening of new treatments for MS. Some approved medications...

Several matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) members contribute to pathology in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). As the role of MMP-12 in EAE has been understudied, we examined its expression in EAE and in vitro. MMP-12 transcripts increased with EAE, and protein was localized to a subset of macrophages/microglia. The temporal expression of MMP-12 largely corres...

Background: It has been reported that vitamin D has broad anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Objective: To evaluate the effects of vitamin D on the expression of IL-27 and IL-33 in a model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods: EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by immunization with myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein mixed with complete Freund's adjuvant. The m...