Movement disorders in encephalitis induced by Rhodococcus aurantiacus infection relieved by the administration of L-dopa and anti-T-cell antibodies.
Mice injected with Rhodococcus aurantiacus by the intravenous (i.v.) route show neurological disorders, hemiparesis, vertical headshake and turn-round gait after day 7 postinfection (p.i.). Neurological symptoms caused by i.v. inoculation of R. aurantiacus were relieved by treatment with levodopa (l-dopa). R. aurantiacus was isolated from the brain and was found to be completely eliminated at day 7 p. i. Focal encephalitis was mainly observed in the brain stem, and T cells could be isolated from the brain after day 7 p.i. Administration of both an anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and an anti-CD8 mAb suppressed neurological symptoms. These results suggest that R. aurantiacus induces movement disorders in mice, and that the symptoms are mediated by T cells infiltrating the brain, rather than directly by the bacterium.
Min
Y
Y
Department of Microbiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan.
Asano
M
M
Kohanawa
M
M
Minagawa
T
T
D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012240:Rhodococcus; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007980:Levodopa