Inmunological and behavioral modulation of Diazepam in a chronic model of Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

FABIO, MARIA CAROLINA; ROTH, GERMAN; DEGANO, ALICIA; ZALOSNIK, MARÍA INÉS

Mar del Plata

Congreso; XXXII Congress of the Argentine Society for Research in Neuroscience; 2017

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Experimentalautoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an inflammatory demyelinating diseasethat mimics many of the clinical and pathological features of multiplesclerosis. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of diazepamon clinical signs and its neurobehavioral consequences in a monophasic model ofthe disease in mice. Female mice were immunized with MOG35-55 peptide or adjuvant alone andpertussis toxin. At first symptom, animals were injected with diazepam orsaline alone every 48 hs. After recovery of clinical signs, animals wentthrough a behavioral test battery in order to identify motor skills, anxiety, andcognitive deficits. mRNA expression of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokinesand BDNF were measured in hippocampus and spinal cord using Real-Time PCR. Wefound that 2 mg/kg diazepam reversed motor signs of the disease withoutaffecting locomotor activity or anxiety. These results correlated with nodifferences of inflammatory cytokines at the spinal cord. However, EAE animalsshowed cognitive deficits in the T-maze test. Diazepam did not improve thissymptom but EAE animals treated with this drug displayed a significantattenuation of inflammatory cytokines at hippoccampus. Future experiments areneeded in order to understand the mechanisms by cognitive deficits persist inEAE animals.