title: Distinct expression of Tim-3 during different stages of rat experimental autoimmune neuritis.
abstract: Experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) is a well-known animal model of human demyelinating polyneuropathies and is characterized by inflammation and demyelination in the peripheral nervous system. Tim-3 had been identified as a Th1-specific marker negatively regulating autoimmunity or inflammatory diseases. Here we have studied by immunohistochemistry the spatiotemporal accumulation of Tim-3(+) cells in sciatic nerves of EAN rats, particularly focusing on its association with alternatively activated macrophages. Our results showed that time course of Tim-3(+) cell accumulation correlated positively with disease progression of EAN; but distinct major cellular resources of Tim-3 were observed at different disease stages of EAN: during the early phase of EAN, the main cellular resource were T cells, but at the peak and during recovery phase of EAN, Tim-3 was mostly expressed on CD68(+) macrophages or CD163(+) cells. Further investigation suggested that accumulation of CD163(+) cells, particularly their relative abundances to activated macrophages at different time points, were in accordance with the recovery from EAN. Therefore, Tim3(+) cells might include a distinct macrophage population, which may be involved in anti-inflammatory effect and recovery from EAN.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. zhiyuan.zhang@medizin.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Zhi-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hermann J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schluesener
authors.forename: Zhiren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D018450:Disease Progression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule; C569429:Havcr2 protein, rat