LOCALIZATION OF MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PEPTIDE-1 EXPRESSION IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM IN EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS AND TRAUMA IN THE RAT

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a member of the chemokin e beta family of chemoattractants that has been shown to play a major role in the initiation of monocyte and T cell inflammation to sites of tissue injury, In this study, we have examined the distribution of MC P-1 expression in inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) ass ociated with the autoimmune disease experimental autoimmune encephalom yelitis (EAE) and compared the results with those detected in inflamma tion associated with trauma, In EAE, MCP-1 expression was detected at the onset of inflammation, prior to clinical expression of disease, in lymphocytes and endothelial cells in subarachnoid locations, Monocyte infiltration into these areas appeared 24 h later. After the onset of clinical signs, MCP-1 expression was widely distributed in the spinal cord with levels increasing and decreasing in association with diseas e activity, Lymphocytes, macrophages, astrocytes, and endothelial cell s could be identified as sources of MCP-1 by immunoreactivity and in s itu hybridization, A similar close correlation between macrophage infi ltration and the levels of mRNA for MCP-1 was found in the CNS of rats subjected to trauma, and in these animals MCP-1 was detected by immun ohistochemistry in macrophages and endothelial cells, The results supp ort the conclusion that MCP-1 is an important mediator of inflammation in the CNS.