Monomethoxypolyethylene glycol-modified cardiac myosin treatment blocks the active and passive induction of experimental autoimmune myocarditis.
BACKGROUND
Injecting various protein antigens conjugated to monomethoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) results in antigen-specific tolerance to subsequent immunization. In the present study the ability of mPEG-modified cardiac myosin (CM) to block the development of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) induced by CM immunization or by the transfer of lymphocytes from CM-immunized donors was studied.


RESULTS
A/J mice were injected with mPEG-CM before active or passive EAM induction. We examined the suppressive mechanism by the transfer of lymphocytes from mPEG-CM-treated mice into naïve mice. To ascertain the cells responsible for suppressing EAM induction, in vivo or in vitro depletion of CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells was performed. mPEG-CM administered before active or passive EAM induction markedly suppressed the incidence and severity of EAM and reduced CM-specific antibody responses. When lymphocytes from mPEG-CM treated mice were transferred into naïve mice that were then immunized with CM, the suppressive effect was recapitulated.


CONCLUSIONS
mPEG-CM treatment blocked the active and passive induction of EAM.
Hamada
Yuri
Y
Department of Immunology, Kochi Medical School, Japan. hamaday@kochi-u.ac.jp
Takata
Masaru
M
Kiyoku
Hiroshi
H
Enzan
Hideaki
H
Doi
Yoshinori
Y
Fujimoto
Shigeyoshi
S
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D024722:Cardiac Myosins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007114:Immunization; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
C491684:monomethoxypolyethylene glycol-modified cardiac myosin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D024722:Cardiac Myosins