title: Quinpramine ameliorates rat experimental autoimmune neuritis and redistributes MHC class II molecules.
abstract: Activation of inflammatory cells is central to the pathogenesis of autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the peripheral nervous system. The novel chimeric compound quinpramine--generated from imipramine and quinacrine--redistributes cholesterol rich membrane domains to intracellular compartments. We studied the immunological and clinical effects of quinpramine in myelin homogenate induced Lewis rat experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a model system for acute human inflammatory neuropathies, such as the Guillain-Barré syndrome. EAN animals develop paresis of all limbs due to autoimmune inflammation of peripheral nerves. Quinpramine treatment ameliorated clinical disease severity of EAN and infiltration of macrophages into peripheral nerves. It reduced expression of MHC class II molecules on antigen presenting cells and antigen specific T cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Quinpramine exerted its anti-proliferatory effect on antigen presenting cells, but not on responder T cells. Our data suggest that quinpramine represents a candidate pharmaceutical for inflammatory neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. gerd.mzh@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meyer zu Hörste
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mausberg
authors.forename: Johanna I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Helmar C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Löber
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gmeiner
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stüve
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Korth
authors.forename: Bernd C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kieseier
mesh_terms: D000166:Acridines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002460:Cell Line; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000166:Acridines; D001596:Benzylamines; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C541811:quinpramine