title: Molsidomine ameliorates experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats.
abstract: Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune CD4+ T cell-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in preventing the development of EAE. Molsidomine (Mol) is a drug used for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Its therapeutic effects are the consequences of NO formation. In this study, we investigated the effects of Mol on EAE development in myelin basic protein (MBP)-immunized Lewis rats. All rats immunized with MBP developed typical clinical signs of acute EAE. In the EAE rats receiving Mol, the severity of clinical signs and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in CNS were clearly reduced. Furthermore, Mol administration significantly reduced the production of interferon-gamma, a Th1 inflammatory cytokine, but increased the production of interleukin-10, a Th2 anti-inflammatory cytokine. Our findings suggest that the administration of the exogenous NO donor Mol is of considerable benefit in limiting the development of EAE and other Th1 cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Medicinal Resources Research Center of Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Pae
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008981:Molsidomine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009187:Myelitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008981:Molsidomine