Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.MS creates a wide range of symptoms with lifelong debilitating consequences. The hallmark of the disease is the inflammation of the nervous system, which can lead to damage to the nerve tissue and loss of function of the neurons. IL-17 has a prominent role in the beginning of inflammatory reactions. Here, we analyzed a mouse model developed using anti-myelin antibodies. This mouse model mimics many symptoms of MS in humans. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups. Mice were immunized subcutaneously with 50 μg, 100 μg, 150 μg and 200 μg myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in complete Freund's adjuvant containing 4 mg/Ml Mycobacterium tuberculosis and two injections of 800 ng of pertussis toxin intraperitoneally, on day 0 and 2 post immunization. Serum level of IL-17 was measured, inflammation and demyelination of brain tissue were also evaluated. Mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis demonstrated inflammatory cell accumulation, different degrees of demyelination in the brain, and rising levels of serum IL-17 depending on the dose of the anti-myelin antibody. Our study demonstrates that level of IL-17 production is directly associated with inflammation and demyelination. In addition, different degrees of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice can be utilized to test a wide range of therapeutic interventions for MS treatment.
Keywords: Demyelination; Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; Inflammation; Interleukin 17; Multiple sclerosis.