Chronic Relapsing Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in the SJL Mouse: Relevant Techniques

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a useful animal model for the study of autoantigen-specific T-lymphocyte responses in autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. EAE models, however, are quite variable clinically, pathologically, and immunologically depending upon both host factors and the method of disease induction. Since EAE in the SJL mouse presents as a chronic relapsing disease characterized by primary demyelination, it is an ideal model for the study of autoimmune mediated demyelination and immunoregulatory events leading to relapses in the human disease multiple sclerosis. This report reviews host factors that influence EAE, then focuses upon EAE in the SJL mouse in a detailed description of methodologies involved in passive and active EAE induction. The advantages of each induction method, passive and active, are discussed.