title: A role for calpain in optic neuritis.
abstract: Optic neuritis (ON) is one of the most commonly presenting symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) thought to be caused by an attack on myelin by autoreactive T cells and other immune cells. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely used model for MS and ON, which are characterized by demyelination, axonal damage, and neuronal death. The mechanisms of neurodegeneration are unclear; however, the calcium (Ca2+)-dependent neutral protease calpain is thought to be involved. The focus of this article is to summarize the evidence suggesting that calpain plays a role in the development of EAE-ON in Lewis rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology/Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucus Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
authors.forename: M Kelly
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Guyton
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sribnick
authors.forename: Swapan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Naren L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Banik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D002154:Calpain