LOW-AFFINITY NGF RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM DURING EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS

In the central nervous system (CNS), p75, or low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR), is assumed to play a critical role in mediat ing the effects of neurotrophins on neuronal survival, Recent studies have shown that nerve growth factor (NGF) can act also on immune cells through its binding to p75, Using immunohistochemistry, we have inves tigated the expression of the p75 receptor in the CNS during chronic r elapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) of the Lewis ra t, an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), We report here a sequen tial expression of p75, first in Purkinje cells during the first attac k, and secondly on both endothelial and perivascular cells in the latt er stages of the disease, Moreover, starting from the second attack, p 75 was also expressed on glial ensheathing cells, likely myelinating c ells, located primarily in the dorsal roots, These data suggest that d uring EAE, LNGFR may play an important role in leukocyte-endothelial c ell interactions and in the maintenance of Purkinje cells survival. (C ) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.