Acute neuroinflammation in Lewis rats - a model for acute multiple sclerosis relapses.

Animal models of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) are the most commonly used animal models for studying the pathogenesis of human multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as for target validation and compound characterization in pharmacology. By using an EAE model in Lewis rats, we focus on its neuroimmunological characterization with special attention to disease-involved cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Furthermore, we used MR imaging to investigate macrophage infiltration and ICAM-1 expression in lesional spinal cord. Overall, due to its inflammatory character, this model is suggested to be used in early drug discovery particularly directed against acute inflammatory processes.