title: Interferon-gamma regulates oxidative stress during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an induced inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system which shares many clinical and pathological features with and is considered the animal model of multiple sclerosis. There is extensive evidence that EAE is a Th1 disease eliciting secretion of proinflammatory cytokines like IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha, and it has been suggested that cytokine-induced oxidative stress could have a role in EAE neuropathology. However, the individual roles of these and other cytokines in the pathogenesis of the disease are still uncertain. Here we analyze the role of IFN-gamma during EAE by using both IFN-gamma receptor-knockout (IFN-gamma R(-/-)) and wild-type mice, both strains immunized with peptide 40-55 from rat myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. The levels of oxidative stress were determined through the analysis of immunoreactivity for inducible NO synthase, nitrotyrosine, and malondialdehyde, as well as through the expression of the tissue-protective antioxidant factors metallothionein I+II (MT-I+II). We also examined the number of cells undergoing apoptosis as judged by using the TUNEL technique. The levels of oxidative stress, MT-I+II, and apoptotic cell death by EAE were significantly increased in all mice, though more so in IFN-gamma R(-/-) mice compared with wild-type mice. These data support the notion that IFN-gamma has a protective role against EAE.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Cli;nica, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Espejo
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Penkowa
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sáez-Torres
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Agustina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Montalban
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Cáceres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat