title: Myelinated dorsal root ganglion cultures activate both the alternative and classical pathways of complement.
abstract: We used rat myelinated dorsal root ganglion (MDRG) cultures to study antibody and complement-mediated mechanisms of peripheral demyelinating diseases. Heat inactivated serum from a patient (LT) with peripheral neuropathy and a monoclonal IgM reactive with myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG) and sulfated glucuronosyl glycolipids (anti-SGGL) was used as an antibody source. Incubation of whole human serum (WHS) or WHS and anti-SGGL with MDRGs resulted in reduction of classical and alternative pathway hemolytic activities and the development of abnormal myelin sheaths. Incubation of MDRG cultures with C2-deficient serum showed activation of the alternative complement pathway. Classical pathway hemolytic activity was reduced when Factor B-depleted serum was incubated with MDRG cultures. The rat MDRG culture system provides a good model system of a peripheral nerve and has therefore been used by several investigators to study antibody and complement-mediated demyelination associated with peripheral neuropathies. However, our studies indicate a high degree of complement activation and membrane disruption of cultures incubated with WHS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0614, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scott-Zaki
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Purkall
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bigbee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruddy
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D003170:Complement Pathway, Alternative / Q000502:physiology*; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D003470:Culture Media; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D003470:Culture Media; D005699:Galactosylceramides; D003165:Complement System Proteins