DECREASED CNS INFLAMMATION AND ABSENCE OF CLINICAL EXACERBATION OF DISEASE AFTER 6 MONTHS ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF BOVINE MYELIN IN DISEASED SJL J MICE WITH CHRONIC RELAPSING EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS/

Murine chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR -EAE) is a a model of inflammatory demyelinating disease of the centra l nervous system (CNS) with similarity to multiple sclerosis (MS) in h umans. Mice with confirmed neurologic deficits from CR-EAE were treate d by oral administration of whole bovine myelin to investigate the eff ect of long-term oral delivery of myelin antigens on clinical disease and on the inflammatory response in the CNS. EAE-positive mice were fe d doses of 1 mg, 10 mg, or 20 ang of bovine myelin every either day fo r 6 months. We found that prolonged oral delivery of neuroantigen supp ressed inflammatory and demyelination foci in the CNS of myelin-treate d mice with no exacerbation of clinical disease status compared with t he control group. Analysis of histologic sections of brain and spinal cords with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining showed a decrease in the inflammatory cell infiltration and active cen ters of demyelination, respectively, Furthermore, after 6 months of tr eatment, these was no increased sensitization to myelin antigens seen, as measured by anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) or anti-proteolipid ap o-protein (PLP) antibodies. These results demonstrate that prolonged o ral administration of myelin antigens inn diseased animals has an amel iorating effect on the pathologic process and supports its potential l ongterm use in humans with MS. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.