title: Interleukins (IL-7 and IL-7r) gene expression and thymoquinones role in the amelioration of eae symptoms - biomed 2010.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that leads to widespread demyelination and axonal damage due to an abnormal T-cell mediated immune response. Environmental and genetic components are associated with MS. Genome-wide association studies suggest a connection between genes encoding IL-7R and IL-7 to MS. This study was conducted to elucidate the role of IL-7 and IL-7R genes in the pathogenesis and progression of MS by determining gene expression in experimental autoimmune encephomyelitis (EAE) C57BL/6J mice and Lewis rats, and to determine whether gene expression changes with the anti-oxidant treatment of thymoquinone. Thymoquinone inhibited the development of acute and chronic relapsing EAE in C57BL/6J mice. A significant increase of glutathione was observed in mice with reduced symptoms, likely due to TQ anti-oxidant activity. Gene expression studies remain elusive but point towards the involvement of IL-7R in the progression and pathogenesis of EAE.
authors.affiliation: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spate
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ramadan H
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohamed