Suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by dermatan sulfate

The effect of dermatan sulfate (DS) on the treatment of Lewis rats with exp erimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was examined. DS, a sulfated g lycosaminoglycan, has been reported to exhibit anticoagulant and fibrinolyt ic activities. DS treatment (50 mg/ kg/day) facilitates recovery from the c linical manifestations of EAE, In this study, the fibrinolytic activity was higher in DS-treated rats than in saline-treated rats. Although the degree of perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration in the spinal cord was not s uppressed in DS-treated rats compared to that in saline-treated rats, periv ascular fibrin deposition was markedly suppressed in DS-treated rats. These findings suggest that DS would act as an effective therapeutic agent for E AE by preventing fibrin deposition. (C) 1999 Academic Press.