[Suppression of acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats with cerebral contusion].
We previously reported that the thymolysis was observed in acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) rats immunized with brain tissue homogenates in complete Freund adjuvant. This observation has led us to suppose that the central nervous system (CNS) has high antigenicity for self. To keep from the high antigenicity of CNS, the blood brain barrier (BBB) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which maintain CNS in isolated state are essential for self. If the BBB is destroyed and brain tissue is disseminated in CSF, is oneself sensitized by CNS? In this experiment, we produced cerebral contusion in rats and the BBB was partially destroyed and brain tissue was disseminated in CSF. No clinical signs of EAE were observed by cerebral contusion was exposed to encephalitogen one week later, EAE was remarkably suppressed compared with those in controls or sham operated groups (p less than 0.001). Almost 80% of the rats with cerebral contusion showed no response to EAE. These results seen to show that self is sensitized by autologous brain tissue and CNS has high antigenicity.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology
D001324:Autoantigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein