The role of cytokines in autoimmune encephalomyelitis and rejection processes of neural grafts

在本研究中，我们研究了中枢神经系统（CNS）病变中分泌的细胞因子和细胞因子网络的作用。由于CNS中细胞因子蛋白和mRNA的表达量非常少，用Western和Northern blot等常规方法检测非常困难。因此，我们利用实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎（EAE）和神经组织移植模型，尝试建立PCR技术扩增后细胞因子mRNA的定量分析，即竞争性PCR。在急性期和单相大鼠EAE中，促炎因子（ifn - γ和tnf - α）和抗炎因子（IL-10）均在EAE早期达到峰值，提示其临床病程的性质。另一方面，在移植排斥过程中，穿孔素和颗粒酶B等细胞溶解蛋白mRNA显著表达。这些疾病特异性细胞因子分泌谱强烈提示，中枢神经系统中形成的病变的性质通过调节大脑中形成的细胞因子网络来调节病变修复的模式。

In the present study, we investigated the role of cytokines secreted in the lesion in the central nervous system (CNS) and cytokine network.Since the amount of cytokine protein and mRNA expressed in the CNS is very little, it was very difficult to examine them by ordinary methods such as Western and Northern blot analysis.Instead, using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and neural tissue grafting model, we tried to establish the quantitative analysis of cytokine mRNA after amplification by the PCR techniques, i.e., competitive PCR.In acute and monophasic rat EAE,both pro-inflammatory )IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines reached a maximal at the early stage of EAE suggesting the nature of its clinical course.On the other hand, in the graft rejection processes, mRNA for cytolytic protein such as perforin and granzyme B was expressed markedly.These disease-specific cytokine secretion profile strongly suggest that the nature of the lesion formed in the CNS regulates the mode of the lesion repair by modulating the cytokine network formed in the brain.