CSF from MS patients can induce acute conduction block in the isolated optic nerve.
In the present in vitro electrophysiological study, the acute effects of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from multiple sclerosis (MS) and control subjects were measured on the axonal conduction of rat optic nerve, a central tract that is commonly affected in MS. Optic nerve compound action potential (CAP) amplitude was insensitive to the application of CSF obtained from the whole population of non-MS patients and from seven of 15 MS CSF. In the remaining eight MS cases, conversely, a time-dependent depression of CAP amplitude was observed. The reversible blockade of ion channels by soluble substances might account, at least in part, for the transient symptoms often seen in MS patients.
Centonze
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Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Tor Vergata and Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy. centonze@uniroma2.it
Rossi
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Boffa
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Palmieri
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Caramia
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Bernardi
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric