title: Protective effect of Rolipram in experimental autoimmune neuritis: protection is associated with down-regulation of IFN-gamma and inflammatory chemokines as well as up-regulation of IL-4 in peripheral nervous system.
abstract: Rolipram, a phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor, is reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. It can markedly downregulate antigen-driven T cell proliferation and suppress TNF-(alpha and TNF-beta production in vitro and in vivo, which have led to its use in the treatment of a number of autoimmune disorders including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). EAN is a CD4+ T cell-mediated demyelinating autoimmune disease of peripheral nervous system (PNS) that represents an animal model for the study of the immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in human. In the previous study, we reported that suppression of EAN by Rolipram was associated with down-regulated myelin antigen-induced T cell responses as well as downregulated IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production. Here we report that EAN induced in Lewis rats by inoculation with the PNS P2 protein peptide 57-81 and Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), was strongly suppressed by Rolipram administered twice daily intraperitoneally from day 9 post immunization (p.i.), i.e. after onset of clinical EAN to day 18 p.i. This clinical effect was associated with dose-dependent down-regulated production of IFN-gamma and the chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha, MIP-2 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1) as well as up-regulated IL-4 production in sciatic nerve sections from Rolipram-treated EAN rats at maximum of clinical EAN, i.e. on day 14 p.i.. These findings suggest that Rolipram may be useful in certain T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases and inflammatory neuropathies. These observations call for further studies on the potential role of Rolipram in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Pelidou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winblad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D054426:Chemokine CXCL2; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein / Q000276:immunology; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020889:Rolipram / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D054426:Chemokine CXCL2; D018925:Chemokines; C404915:Cxcl2 protein, mouse; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D020889:Rolipram