MS-8209, an amphotericin B analogue, delays the appearance of spongiosis, astrogliosis and PrPres accumulation in the brain of scrapie-infected hamsters

The histopathological response of scrapie-infected hamsters treated at the late stage of the infection with an "anti-scrapie" drug, a polyene macrolid e antibiotic, designated MS-8209, was evaluated in the brain. The results s howed that (1) MS-8209 prolonged significantly the incubation lime of the e xperimental disease,:2) MS-8209 delayed the appearance of spongiosis and as trogliosis in the brain, (3) immunodetection of abnormal prion protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein was significantly reduced in the central ne rvous system.:In addition, this report indicates that polyene antibiotics m arkedly delay the development of the classical brain lesions that result fr om scrapie infection. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.