Suppression of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by a Synapsin Peptide Fused to the B Subunit of E. coli Heat Labile Toxin is Mediated By Regulatory T Cells and the Up-regulation of Anti-inflammatory Cytokines

SCERBO, MJ; BIBOLINI, MJ; ROTH, GA; MONFERRAN, CG

JOURNAL OF NEUROIMMUNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2011

0165-5728

We previously found that the preventive oral administration of a hybrid consisting of the C domain of synapsinand the B subunit of E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LTBSC) efficiently suppresses experimental autoimmuneencephalomyelitis (EAE) development in rats. We investigated the effect of LTBSC on cytokineexpression and on regulatory T (Treg) cells in rats with myelin induced EAE. LTBSC treatment increasedthe frequency of CD4+FoxP3+ Treg cells in lymph nodes prior to challenge and in the EAE acute stage.LTBSC also up-regulated the expression of anti-inflammatory Th2/Th3 cytokines and diminished myelinbasic protein-specific Th1 and Th17 cell responses in lymph nodes. CD4+CD25+ Treg cells from LTBSC treatedrats showed stronger suppressive properties than Treg cells from controls in vitro. Our observations indicatethat LTBSC is a useful agent for modulating the autoimmune responses in EAE.