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Cytokine-induced enhancement of autoimmune inflammation in the brain and spinal cord: implications for multiple sclerosis

Cytokine-induced enhancement of autoimmune inflammation in the brain and spinal cord: implications for multiple sclerosis
Cytokine-induced enhancement of autoimmune inflammation in the brain and spinal cord: implications for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are autoimmune inflammatory diseases in which cytokines are intimately involved. Here we test the hypothesis that injection of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-? (TNF?) and interferon gamma (IFN?) into the brain of animals in the prodromal phase of EAE significantly enhances inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). We were particularly interested to learn whether a local increase in cytokines influenced the pathology locally, or more extensively, within the CNS. EAE was induced in female adult Lewis rats. Eight days post-inoculation, TNF? or INF? was injected into one cerebral hemisphere. Days 11 and 13 post-inoculation (3 and 5 days after the injection of cytokine) inflammation was quantified by the number of perivascular cuffs and the degree of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression by microglia. Normal animals injected with cytokines, and EAE animals with saline injection served as controls. Results: microglial activation was increased three- to fourfold in the brain and eightfold in the spinal cord (P ? 0.05); lymphocyte invasion was increased sixfold in the brain and three- to fourfold in the spinal cord (P ? 0.01) following injections of TNF? or INF? in EAE animals compared with controls. Significant axonal damage was observed in white matter associated with the perivascular cuffs. Conclusion: local changes in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines within the brain in EAE results in the widespread enhancement of autoimmune inflammation within the brain and cord, and exacerbation of clinical symptoms.
brain, cytokine, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), inflammation, interferon-?, multiple sclerosis, tumour necrosis factor-?
0305-1846
374-384
Sun, D.
ccee3ca1-d1bb-46a7-b0a9-438700125b89
Newman, T.A.
322290cb-2e9c-445d-a047-00b1bea39a25
Perry, V.H.
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Weller, R.O.
4a501831-e38a-4d39-a125-d7141d6c667b
Sun, D.
ccee3ca1-d1bb-46a7-b0a9-438700125b89
Newman, T.A.
322290cb-2e9c-445d-a047-00b1bea39a25
Perry, V.H.
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Weller, R.O.
4a501831-e38a-4d39-a125-d7141d6c667b

Sun, D., Newman, T.A., Perry, V.H. and Weller, R.O. (2004) Cytokine-induced enhancement of autoimmune inflammation in the brain and spinal cord: implications for multiple sclerosis. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 30 (4), 374-384. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-2990.2003.00546.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are autoimmune inflammatory diseases in which cytokines are intimately involved. Here we test the hypothesis that injection of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-? (TNF?) and interferon gamma (IFN?) into the brain of animals in the prodromal phase of EAE significantly enhances inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). We were particularly interested to learn whether a local increase in cytokines influenced the pathology locally, or more extensively, within the CNS. EAE was induced in female adult Lewis rats. Eight days post-inoculation, TNF? or INF? was injected into one cerebral hemisphere. Days 11 and 13 post-inoculation (3 and 5 days after the injection of cytokine) inflammation was quantified by the number of perivascular cuffs and the degree of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression by microglia. Normal animals injected with cytokines, and EAE animals with saline injection served as controls. Results: microglial activation was increased three- to fourfold in the brain and eightfold in the spinal cord (P ? 0.05); lymphocyte invasion was increased sixfold in the brain and three- to fourfold in the spinal cord (P ? 0.01) following injections of TNF? or INF? in EAE animals compared with controls. Significant axonal damage was observed in white matter associated with the perivascular cuffs. Conclusion: local changes in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines within the brain in EAE results in the widespread enhancement of autoimmune inflammation within the brain and cord, and exacerbation of clinical symptoms.

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More information

Published date: 1 August 2004
Keywords: brain, cytokine, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), inflammation, interferon-?, multiple sclerosis, tumour necrosis factor-?

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 56664
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/56664
ISSN: 0305-1846
PURE UUID: 03dffd59-43cd-4803-a081-65d19018d894
ORCID for T.A. Newman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3727-9258

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Date deposited: 08 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:52

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Contributors

Author: D. Sun
Author: T.A. Newman ORCID iD
Author: V.H. Perry
Author: R.O. Weller

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