THE ROLE OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS IN EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS

Various detergents used in preparative membrane protein chemistry were added to a complete Freund's adjuvant/water emulsion in order to incr ease the solubility and/or immunologic availability of the Mycobacteri um tuberculosis membrane and to explain its role in blood-brain barrie r (BBB) permeability. Magnetic resonance imaging was used for in vivo determination of the BBB breakdown and cerebral edema. The results sho wed that with 1% 10 tridecyl ether, which increases emulsion stability , abundant BBB breakdown and cerebral edema were observed, similar to those encountered in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). We suggest that the immunologic response triggered off by M. tuberculosi s largely contributes to the BBB permeability changes observed during EAE, probably by an action on the endothelial cells of the cerebral bl ood vessels.