PENTOXIFYLLINE INHIBITS EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS

Pentoxifylline, a widely used methylxanthine, has been proven to inhib it the production and action of the cytokine TNF alpha. Since it has b een suggested that TNF alpha is the major cytokine involved in the pat hogenesis of multiple sclerosis, we tested pentoxifylline for its capa city to prevent experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). 26 Lewi s rats with acute EAE were treated with either pentoxifylline or salin e. The pentoxifylline treated rats showed a significantly lower incide nce of clinical signs as well as significantly lower histological infl ammation. The exact mechanism of this preventive effect remains to be clarified but it might be mainly related to inhibition of TNF alpha re lease from central nervous system macrophages.