title: Focal encephalitis in the Lewis rat induced by intracerebral enterotoxin superantigen and amplified by activated intravenous splenocytes.
abstract: The histological response after intracerebral (IC) injection of superantigen (SAg) was investigated in unprimed Lewis rats. The staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) A (SEA), and E, but not B or saline, induced a variable perivascular inflammation in the injected hemisphere (6.7 +/- 6.1 cuffs per tissue section with SEA; mean +/- SD). Adoptive transfer of mitogen activated splenocytes (AS) augmented the response to SEA significantly (18.5 +/- 11.4; P<0.05). With or without AS transient bilateral perivascular cuffs were observed around the ventricles and in the corpus callosum up to 3 days after IC injection. The findings demonstrate that local expression of SAg in the brain can cause encephalitis, depending on the number of activated T cells in the circulation.
authors: Neurologische Klinik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse 40, D-06097 Halle/Saale, Germany. sekretariat.neurologie@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors: Malte E
authors: ME
authors: Kornhuber
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Ganz
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Lang
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Brill
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Schmahl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D018089:Superantigens