Suppression of active but not passive autoimmune encephalomyelitis by dual cyclo-oxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibition.

Previous research has shown that the dual cyclo-oxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, BW755c suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In the present study, the effects of BW755c on both actively and passively induced EAE in the Lewis rat were examined, and also its effect on the accumulation of radiolabeled spleen cells in response to direct injection of tumor necrosis factor into the spinal cord. It was found that BW755c suppressed actively induced EAE but not passively induced EAE nor cytokine-induced cell accumulation in the central nervous system. It is concluded that arachidonic acid metabolites may be important in the induction phase of EAE, but do not appear to be crucial to the effector phase of EAE.