The cuprizone model for demyelination.
BACKGROUND
Important advances in multiple sclerosis (MS) research have been made as a direct or indirect result of experiments in animal models for the disease, although MS is a disease only affecting humans. The cuprizone model is a model for toxic demyelination. In this model, young mice are fed with the copper chelator cuprizone, leading to oligodendrocyte death and a subsequent reversible demyelination. Spontaneous remyelination can be seen as early as 4 days after withdrawal of cuprizone.


METHODS
This article reviews previous research on this model and discusses the potential of the model for future application in MS research.


CONCLUSIONS
The cuprizone model correlates with newer histopathological data in MS and is a valuable tool for studies on de- and remyelination. The use of the C57BL/6 strain offers the potential for future studies on transgene and knockout mice.
Torkildsen
O
O
Norwegian Multiple Sclerosis Competence Centre, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Norway. oivind.torkildsen@gmail.com
Brunborg
L A
LA
Myhr
K-M
KM
Bø
L
L
D000818:Animals; D002614:Chelating Agents; D003471:Cuprizone; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000187:drug effects
D002614:Chelating Agents; D003471:Cuprizone