Prevention of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the SJL/J mouse by whole body ultraviolet irradiation.
The cellular requirements for the in vivo induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) were investigated in the SJL/J mouse. Exposure of mice to whole body ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, a treatment that has been shown in other systems to interfere selectively with antigen-presenting cell function, prevented the development of clinical and pathologic signs of acute EAE. Splenic T cells from UV-treated animals did not adoptively transfer resistance to EAE, making it unlikely that UV irradiation resulted in the generation of a specific suppressor cell population responsible for protection from EAE. UV irradiation was effective in preventing EAE when administered before initial immunization; UV irradiation was ineffective in modifying ongoing EAE or in preventing relapses of EAE induced by reimmunization. In additional experiments, adult thymectomized, lethally x-irradiated mice reconstituted with syngeneic marrow cells depleted of mature T lymphocytes were found to be resistant to the induction of EAE. Susceptibility was restored by the addition of splenic T cells, demonstrating that EAE induction is T cell-dependent in the mouse. The prevention of an experimental autoimmune demyelinating disease by whole body UV irradiation suggests that interference with the function of Ia-bearing accessory cells may represent an approach for immunotherapy in autoimmune disorders.
D000818:Animals; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011828:Radiation Chimera; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation