Analysis of cerebral microvessel endothelial cell junctional permeability in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis susceptible and resistant mice

Role of B:T cell ratio in suppression of clinical signs: a model for silent MS

B10.S mice have been considered resistant to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. However, sensitization with a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide, MOG(92-106), induced clinical signs in 30% of mice and central nervous system (CNS) pathology in 93% of mice. Symptomatic mice had more demyelination, inflammation, perivascular cuffing and axonal damage in the CNS compared to asymptomatic mice, but no strong correlations between CNS pathology and clinical score were found. Interestingly, the ratio of B cells to T cells in cellular infiltrates correlated with clinical score. This suggests that the balance between B and T cells contributes to expression of clinical signs.

Adoptive transfer of myelin basic protein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis between SJL and B10.S mice: Correlation of priming milieus with susceptibility and resistance phenotypes

To study the mechanisms of EAE resistance, we directly transfer MBP-primed EAE-susceptible SJL lymph node cells into EAE-resistant B10.S recipients and vice versa. These transfers were unsuccessful because of strong alloreactivity between the two strains. Neonatal tolerance to SJL antigens was induced in B10.S mice and in these hosts MBP-primed SJL lymph node cells readily induce development of adoptive EAE. Conversely, transfer of MBP-primed B10.S lymph node cells into EAE-susceptible (SJL x B10.S)F1 recipients failed to induce EAE. These results are consistent with the notion that the priming milieus in the donor mice affect the expression of susceptible and resistant phenotypes.