Neuroendocrine modulation of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: a critical role for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Murine relapsing EAE can be profoundly suppressed by restraint stress (RST) administered beginning prior to neuroantigen immunization. This study dete rmined what hormone pathway(s) mediate disease suppression. Our results sho wed that nadolol (NAD), a beta(2)-adrenergic antagonist, did not reverse th e RST-induced suppression of EAE. However, administration of either RU486 o r aminoglutethimide, which block the action of peripheral glucocorticoids, resulted in a partial reversal of EAE suppression. Administration of exogen ous corticosterone mimicked the effects of RST, in terms of suppression of EAE, decrease in lymphoid cell numbers and decrease in Th1 cytokine product ion. Therefore, the HPA axis plays a more profound role in the RST-induced suppression of EAE than does the sympathetic nervous system. (C) 1999 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.