Focal encephalitis in the Lewis rat induced by intracerebral enterotoxin superantigen and amplified by activated intravenous splenocytes.
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.
Kornhuber
Malte E
ME
Neurologische Klinik, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse 40, D-06097 Halle/Saale, Germany. sekretariat.neurologie@medizin.uni-halle.de
Ganz
Caroline
C
Lang
Roland
R
Brill
Thomas
T
Schmahl
Wolfgang
W
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*
D004768:Enterotoxins; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D018089:Superantigens