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LIPID‐FREE VS. LIPID‐BOUND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC NEURITIS IN THE LEWIS RAT
Author(s) -
Cavaletti G.,
Celon S.,
Marmiroli P.,
Matà S.,
Fasano A.,
Lolli F.,
Riccio P.,
Tredici G.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of the peripheral nervous system
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1529-8027
pISSN - 1085-9489
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8027.2000.00513-14.x
Subject(s) - immunogenicity , myelin , neuritis , lipid metabolism , antibody , sciatic nerve , chemistry , medicine , immunology , endocrinology , biochemistry , central nervous system , surgery
The P2 protein of the peripheral nervous system myelin is a neuritogenic protein capable to induce experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in the Lewis rat. It has been suggested that addition of some lipids to the protein isolated in the lipid‐free form might enhance its immunogenicity. Because lipid‐bound P2, copurified with all the myelin lipids, shows a conformation that is different from that of LF‐P2, this difference might, in fact, influence its immunogenicity. In this study, we have compared lipid‐free P2 (the “EAN factor”) with the corresponding lipid‐bound form of the protein for their ability to induce EAN after sc inoculation in the Lewis rat. The timing of disease and the clinical scores of lipid‐bound P2‐induced EAN animals (n = 23) did not differ statistically from those injected with lipid‐free P2 (n = 23), with only a tendency to higher clinical scores in the former group. Accordingly, tail nerve conduction velocities did not differ in the 2 groups and were in both significantly lower in comparison to Freund adjuvant controls (n = 8). Inflammation and demyelination predominated in spinal roots and were less evident in the sciatic nerve for both groups of animals. The ELISA determination of antibodies to lipid‐free and lipid‐bound P2 revealed the development of antibodies recognizing the lipid‐free form of the protein in both groups of animals. Our results are in contrast with previous studies performed after addition of individual lipids to the P2 purified in the lipid‐free form, and indicate that native‐like, lipid‐bound P2 is not significantly more immunogenic than lipid‐depleted P2.