Reduced histological EAE in α-NETA-treated mice.

<p>(A) Brain and spinal cord tissues were harvested 16 days after active EAE induction from mice treated with α-NETA or vehicle control. Histological changes in meninges (<i>left panel</i>) and parenchyma (<i>right panel</i>) were evaluated as described in <i>Materials and Methods</i>. Results are pooled from two independent experiments with similar results, each with 4–6 mice per group. mean ± SEM, *<i>p</i><0.05 as by Student's <i>t</i> test. (B) Representative spinal cord sections are shown from actively immunized vehicle- (<i>left panel</i>) or α-NETA- (<i>right panel</i>) treated mice that were euthanized at 16 days p.i. Meningeal and parenchymal mononuclear cell infiltrates typical of acute EAE in the spinal cord of a vehicle-treated mouse (<i>left panel</i>). Less meningeal and parenchymal infiltration, as well as reduced myelin loss (indicated by Luxol fast blue staining intensity), in the spinal cord of α-NETA-treated mice with EAE (<i>right panel</i>). Bar, 50 µm. (C) At day 16 p.i., mononuclear cells isolated from the CNS and spleen of EAE mice treated with α-NETA or vehicle control were enumerated by flow cytometry. n = 7 mice/group; mean ± SEM; *<i>p</i><0.05 by Student's <i>t</i> test. (D) CNS mononuclear cells were isolated at day 16 p.i. from EAE mice treated with α-NETA or vehicle control. Cells were then stained with fluorophore-labeled monoclonal antibodies to identify the indicated leukocyte subsets: T cells (CD3+), B cells (B220+), dendritic cells (DC; CD3-B220-NK1.1-CD11c+) and macrophages (Mac; F4/80+CD11b+). *<i>p</i><0.05 by Student's <i>t</i> test. Two independent experiments yielded similar results.