title: Methylprednisolone improves lactate metabolism through reduction of elevated serum lactate in rat model of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have demonstrated elevated concentrations of lactate both in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients as a pathological condition. We designed an experimental study first to investigate the serum level of lactate as a biomarker of MS progression and also to investigate the effect of methylprednisolone on serum lactate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was inducted in Lewis rats, and then rats were treated intraperitoneally with methylprednisolone (30mg/kg/d), at the disease onset, and the clinical scores were recorded. After seven days of treatment, the serum levels of lactate were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Moreover, lymphocyte infiltration and the demyelinated area was analysed in spinal cord.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the untreated-EAE rats, methylprednisolone remarkably improved the clinical score of EAE and ameliorated the spinal cord inflammation and demyelination. In addition, the marked decline in IFN-γ and the increase in IL-4 confirmed improvement in the rats treated with methylprednisolone. Measurement of lactate using HPLC indicated enhancement in the serum level of lactate in the untreated-EAE rats; the lactate level significantly decreased after methylprednisolone therapy. Moreover, serum lactates and disease severity were correlated positively and significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data confirmed for the first time, that methylprednisolone can decreases the enhanced level of serum lactate in EAE model. In addition, it was shown that measurement of serum lactate could be an inexpensive and accurate laboratory test to determine the response to treatment and to assess disease severity in MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran; Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghareghani
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghanbari
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dokoohaki
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farhadi
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mojtaba
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran. Electronic address: hsadeghim@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Heibatollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000097:blood*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Biomarker; Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; Lactate; Methylprednisolone; Multiple sclerosis