Amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats treated with fucoidan.
We examined whether fucoidan affected the clinical symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats. EAE was induced in Lewis rats that were immunized with guinea-pig myelin basic protein (MBP) and complete Freund's adjuvant. Fucoidan (50 mg/kg, daily) was administered to rats with EAE intraperitoneally, either in the EAE induction phase from either 1 day before immunization to day 7 post-immunization (PI), or the effector phase from day 8 to 14 PI, to test which phase of rat EAE is affected by fucoidan treatment.The onset, severity and duration of EAE paralysis in the fucoidan-treated group in the days 8-14 PI-treated rats, but not in days -1-7 PI-treated rats, were significantly delayed, suppressed and reduced, respectively, compared with the vehicle-treated controls. Treatment with fucoidan reduced the encephalitogenic response and TNF-alpha production during EAE. Moreover, the clinical amelioration coincided with decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells in the EAE-affected spinal cord. The ameliorative effect of fucoidan on clinical paralysis in EAE-affected rats may be mediated, in part, by the suppression of the autoreactive T cell response and inflammatory cytokine production.
Kim
Heechul
H
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Radiological Science Research Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, South Korea.
Moon
Changjong
C
Park
Eun-jin
EJ
Jee
Youngheun
Y
Ahn
Meejung
M
Wie
Myung Bok
MB
Shin
Taekyun
T
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; C007789:fucoidan