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The Journal of Neuroscience, April 1, 2003, 23(7):2511
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Therapeutic Action of Cannabinoids in a Murine Model of
Multiple Sclerosis
Ángel
Arévalo-Martín1,
José Miguel
Vela2,
Eduardo
Molina-Holgado1,
José
Borrell1, and
Carmen
Guaza1
1 Neuroimmunology Group, Neural Plasticity Department,
Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain, and 2 Unit of
Histology, School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology,
and Immunology, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra,
Barcelona, Spain
Theiler's virus infection of the CNS induces an
immune-mediated demyelinating disease in susceptible mouse strains and
serves as a relevant infection model for human multiple sclerosis (MS). Cannabinoids may act as immunosuppressive compounds that have shown
therapeutic potential in chronic inflammatory disorders. Using the
Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus model, we report here that
treatment with the synthetic cannabinoids WIN 55,212-2, ACEA, and
JWH-015 during established disease significantly improved the
neurological deficits in a long-lasting way. At a histological level,
cannabinoids reduced microglial activation, abrogated major histocompatibility complex class II antigen expression, and
decreased the number of CD4+ infiltrating T cells in the spinal cord.
Both recovery of motor function and diminution of inflammation
paralleled extensive remyelination. Overall, the data presented may
have potential therapeutic implications in demyelinating pathologies such as MS; in particular, the possible involvement of cannabinoid receptor CB2 would enable nonpsychoactive therapy suitable for long-term use.
Key words:
Theiler's virus; CB1 agonists; CB2 agonists; demyelination; neuroinflammation; remyelination; spinal cord; rotarod
Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/03/2372511-06$05.00/0
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