Tolerance induction by acylated peptides: suppression of EAE in the mouse with palmitoylated PLP peptides

Treatment of SJL mice either before or after challenge with palmitoylated P LP139-151 (PAL139-151) completely suppressed or considerably reduced both a cute and relapsing stages of EAE induced with PLP139-151. In the presence o f Pertussis toxin, treatment with PAL139-151 was less effective, but treatm ent with a mixture of PAL139-151 and PAL178-191, the palmitoylated PLP epit ope to which T cell recognition spreads, resulted in almost complete protec tion. Proliferation of lymphocytes from treated mice were sharply reduced, and adoptive transfer of lymph node lymphocytes from treated mice to naive recipients resulted in the reduction of the acute phase of EAE and in delay ed relapses following challenge. The results suggest that treatment with PA L139-151 leads to both anergy and the generation of regulatory cells. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.