Acute stress shortens the time to onset of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in SJL/J mice

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory condition of the central nervous system (CNS) resulting in focal demyelination due to the infiltration of sensitized T-leukocytes through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). While chronic stress models have been shown to reduce EAE, acute emotional stress appears to exacerbate many neuroinflammatory disorders. including remitting-relapsing MS. This is the only study to our knowledge that examined the effect of acute stress on EAE. Immobilization of SJL/J mice for 60 min, at days 2 and 3 post-inoculation with proteolipid protein (PLP), resulted in symptoms of EAE becoming apparent 4 days earlier than in control mice. The possibility that this effect could be due to increased BBB permeability was investigated by detecting (99)Technetium (Tc-99) gluceptate extravasation into brain parenchyma post-stress utilizing a gamma camera. There was 80% increase in BBB permeability after 60 min of acute immobilization stress as compared to controls. These findings may help explain the earlier onset of EAE symptoms. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.