Summary
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) developed in 15 of 30 rats injected with a mixture of Freund's adjuvant and homogenized guinea pig brain, and killed after 6–29 days. The incidence and severity of the disease increased with time after inoculation and in 2 animals involvement of the epiphysis, not previously reported in EAE, was detected.
Toxic effects on cells in cultured adult rat cerebellar cortical tissue were produced by exposure for 24 h to the sera of rats killed 12–29 days after inoculation either with the antigenic suspension or with adjuvant alone. Severe toxicity to axons (widespread fragmentation) was produced only by the sera of animals injected with antigenic inocula and killed 17–29 days later. Severe axonal toxicity was not, however, correlated with the presence of EAE in the rats from which the sera were taken. It was not possible to assess myelinotoxic effects in the system used.
It is suggested that the organ culture technique may detect the presence in the sera of inoculated animals of toxic principles which, owing to the blood-brain barrier, do not normally contribute to the pathogenesis of EAE.
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Pettit, D.R., Kiernan, J.A. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the rat: Histopathological studies and the effects of sera on adult cerebellar organ cultures. Acta Neuropathol 27, 83–91 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687243
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687243