Effects of membrane attack complex of complement on apoptosis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Complement activation is involved in the initiation of inflammation and antibody-mediated demyelination in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We investigated the role of MAC in apoptosis in myelin-induced EAE in complement C5-deficient (C5-d) and C5-sufficient (C5-s) mice. The number of apoptotic cells assessed by TUNEL assay was significantly increased in C5-d mice during clinical recovery as compared with C5-s mice. Most of the apoptotic cells were lymphocytes, monocytes, and oligodendrocytes. DNA microarray was performed using total RNA extracted from spinal cords. Genes expressed higher in C5-s included members of the caspase (caspase 6, 7), TNF and TNFR families (CD27, FasL, lymphotoxin-beta R) and survivin. These results indicate that C5 and possibly MAC may be required for the limitation of inflammatory response within the central nervous system.
Niculescu
Teodora
T
University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Weerth
Susanna
S
Soane
Lucian
L
Niculescu
Florin
F
Rus
Violeta
V
Raine
Cedric S
CS
Shin
Moon L
ML
Rus
Horea
H
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D003182:Complement C5 / Q000172:deficiency; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013116:Spinal Cord
D003182:Complement C5; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D012313:RNA