title: Glatiramer acetate ameliorates experimental autoimmune neuritis.
abstract: Glatiramer acetate (GA) is one of the first-line disease-modifying medications that have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis via immune modulatory mechanisms. However, it remains unclear whether the immunomodulation effect of GA is central nervous system (CNS) antigen specific. Here, we explored the mechanism of action of GA by subcutaneously injecting GA in experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) rats, an animal model for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Clinical, electrophysiological and histological findings showed that neurological deficits, demyelination and axonal injury of sciatic nerves were all significantly attenuated in Lewis rats when GA was administered before immunization with peripheral nervous system antigen P0. Our results further demonstrated that GA treatment inhibited either P0 or myelin basic protein (MBP) (CNS antigen)-stimulated auto-immune T-cell proliferation in vitro. GA administrated at 10 days after induction of EAN when neurological sign became apparent also ameliorated the severity of disease, inhibited T-cell response to P0 and MBP and induced shift of proinflammatory and immune modulatory cytokines. Collectively, our findings suggested that GA attenuated neurological deficits in EAN rats and that the immune modulatory mechanisms of GA were not CNS antigen specific.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Cun-Jin
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Junwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Min-Shu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Na
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China [2] Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China [2] Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Fu-Dong
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010455:Peptides; D000068717:Glatiramer Acetate