title: [Experimental autoimmune model of muscle-specific kinase specific myasthenia gravis in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the experimental autoimmune Lewis rat model of myasthenia gravis (EAMG) specific for muscle-specific kinase (MuSK).
  
  
  METHODS
  Lewis rats were immunized subcutaneously with a single injection of 200 µl of MuSK (50/100 µg) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). And MuSK was expressed according to the murine gene of MuSK (AY360453). Control rats were immunized with CFA alone. All rats were observed every other day in a blinded fashion for fatigue characteristics. The clinical symptoms were graded between 0 and 3. And the clinical scores were recorded. The serum levels of anti-MuSK IgG at Days 7 and 57 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG) appeared at Day 16 and peaked at Days 18-22. The serum levels of anti-MuSK IgG were markedly elevated in the experimental groups compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EAMG induced by MuSK is successfully established in rats. And this animal model may help us elucidate the pathogenesis of anti-MuSK myasthenia (AMM) and discover new drug therapy in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hua-bing
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C475048:MuSK protein, rat; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases