Demyelinated Lesions (demyelinated + lesion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Myelin transcription factor 1 (Myt1) expression in demyelinated lesions of rodent and human CNS

GLIA, Issue 7 2007
Adam C. Vana
Abstract Myelin transcription factor 1 (Myt1) is a zinc-finger DNA binding protein that influences developing oligodendrocyte progenitor (OP) cell proliferation, differentiation, and myelin gene transcription in vitro. The potential of Myt1 to play a role in OP responses leading to remyelination was examined using murine hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV) to induce spinal cord demyelination and potential relevance to human pathology was evaluated in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. In MHV-infected mice, the density of Myt1 expressing cells markedly increased in lesioned areas of spinal cord white matter. Myt1 expressing cells proliferated most extensively during active demyelination and subsequently accumulated to maximal levels during early remyelination. Cells with nuclear Myt1 immunoreactivity were mainly OP cells, identified by co-localization with platelet-derived growth factor alpha receptor, with additional phenotypes being either oligodendrocytes or neural stem cells, identified by CC1 antigen and Musashi1, respectively. The density of OP cells expressing Myt1 was significantly increased in white matter of MHV-infected mice during demyelination and early remyelination then as remyelination advanced the values returned to levels comparable to PBS-injected control mice. In MHV lesions, Myt1 was not expressed in astrocytes, lymphocytes, or macrophage/microglial cells. MS lesions demonstrated increased Myt1 expression in both the periplaque white matter adjacent to lesions and within early remyelinating lesions. These results suggesta potential role for Myt1 in the regeneration of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in response to demyelination. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Connexin 43 gap junction proteins are up-regulated in remyelinating spinal cord

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 5 2007
W.A. Roscoe
Abstract Alterations in the expression of gap junction proteins have previously been observed in several diseases affecting the central nervous system; however, the status of connexin 43 (Cx43) has not yet been reported in spinal cord remyelination. We studied Cx43 expression in demyelination and remyelination by using a chronic guinea pig model of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Hartley guinea pigs were immunized with homogenized whole CNS and complete Freund's adjuvant. Animals became chronically ill by day 40 postimmunization, and animals with paralysis were entered into the study. Animals were treated on days 40,60 postimmunization with either saline or drugs that promote remyelination: an adenosine amine congener (100 ,g/kg), an anti-,4-integrin blocker (CT301; ELN 69299; 30 mg/kg), or a combination of both drugs. Remyelination was induced in all drug-treated groups. Cx43 expression was virtually absent in demyelinated lesions of saline-treated controls compared with healthy tissue and normal appearing white matter (P < 0.001), whereas Cx43 was considerably increased (300,500%) in remyelinating lesions of all treatment groups (P < 0.001), most notably in CT301-treated animals. These changes in Cx43 expression indicate that Cx43 may beimportant for recovery from neuroinflammation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Remyelination can be extensive in multiple sclerosis despite a long disease course

NEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
R. Patani
Experimental studies using models of multiple sclerosis (MS) indicate that rapid and extensive remyelination of inflammatory demyelinated lesions is not only possible, but is the normal situation. The presence of completely remyelinated MS lesions has been noted in numerous studies and routine limited sampling of post mortem MS material suggests that remyelination may be extensive in the early stages but eventually fails. However, visual macroscopic guided sampling tends to be biased towards chronic demyelinated lesions. Here we have extensively sampled cerebral tissue from two MS cases to investigate the true extent of remyelination. Sections were cut from 185 cerebral tissue blocks and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), luxol fast blue and cresyl fast violet (LFB/CFV) and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and 200 kDa neurofilament protein antibodies. Demyelinated areas were identified in 141 blocks, comprising both white matter (WMLs) and/or grey matter lesions. In total, 168 WMLs were identified, 22% of which were shadow plaques, 73% were partially remyelinated and only 5% were completely demyelinated. The average extent of lesion remyelination for all WMLs investigated was 47%. Increased density of HLA-DR+ macrophages and microglia at the lesion border correlated significantly with more extensive remyelination. Results from this study of two patients with long standing disease suggest that remyelination in MS may be more extensive than previously thought. [source]


Magnetic resonance imaging as a tool to examine the neuropathology of multiple sclerosis

NEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
L. Bö
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has significantly extended the understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS), owing to its ability to sensitively depict the dynamics of the disease process in vivo. The subject of this review is the use of MRI in the post-mortem setting, with emphasis on how it may be used to improve the specimen selection process at autopsy. Lesions with active demyelination are highly interesting in the study of MS pathogenesis, but are rare in a typical autopsy material of chronic MS. The yield of MS lesions in autopsy specimen selection can be increased by the use of MRI-guided tissue sampling, as a significant proportion of abnormalities detected by post-mortem MRI are not macroscopically visible/palpable. The majority of these MRI abnormalities have been found to represent either discrete areas of microglial activation with no demyelination (so-called (p)reactive lesions), or active demyelinating MS lesions by further histopathological examination. The presence and extent of MS pathology outside of the focal demyelinated lesions is more readily appreciated by MRI-guided specimen sampling, as has been shown in the study of extensive areas of partial myelin loss in the spinal cord. A further advantage of MRI-guided specimen sampling is the ability to use three-dimensional and quantitative measures. The potential of correlating these with histopathological data may be further exploited in the future. The technical procedure for MRI-guided tissue sampling at autopsy is presented, and the limitations of the technique are discussed. [source]


What drives disease in multiple sclerosis: Inflammation or neurodegeneration?

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL NEUROIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Hans Lassmann
Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, which leads to focal inflammatory demyelinated lesions with secondary neurodegeneration. However, this concept has recently been challenged by several observations suggesting that in this disease neurodegeneration might occur independently of inflammation. Here, these new findings are critically discussed and evidence that active neurodegeneration in MS is invariably associated with inflammation is provided. The present review shows, however, that the inflammatory reaction is much more complex, as thought before, and that in the progressive stage of the disease it might become trapped in the central nervous system behind a repaired blood,brain barrier. Future therapeutic options for this disease are discussed on the basis of recent knowledge of the mechanisms of inflammation and neurodegeneration. (Clin. Exp. Neuroimmunol. doi: 10.1111/ j.1759-1961.2009.00003.x, January 2010) [source]