SUPPRESSION OF HYPERACUTE FORM OF EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS BY DRUGS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 230  (2) , 309-318
Abstract
Numerous drugs were tested for ability to suppress the hyperacute form of [rat] experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). This very severe disease produced clinical signs after 7-9 days which progressed rapidly to paralysis and death. Treatment during the 1st 5 days of the incubation period with cycloleucine, cyclophosphamide, EN3638, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate and procarbazine produced important delays in onset. Corticosteroids, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, antilymphocyte serum, asparaginase, gold, cytarabine and tilorone, all previously reported to suppress ordinary EAE, had moderate, little or no effect in hyperacute EAE. Protracted treatment was ineffectual with some of these drugs, but it revealed the remarkable suppressive effect of EN3638, equal to cyclophosphamide. Hyperacute EAE was a rapid and economical screening test for immunosuppressive drugs, and a highly discriminating tool for comparison of potent agents.