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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
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Rat Model of Widespread Cerebral Cortical Demyelination Induced by an Intracerebral Injection of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Published on: September 21, 2021
Focal and diffuse cortical degenerative changes in a marmoset model of multiple sclerosis
I M Pomeroy1, E K Jordan, J A Frank
1Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. ian.pomeroy@nhs.net
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|March 3, 2010
Summary
Multiple sclerosis causes generalized brain damage, including diffuse axonal damage and neuronal loss, not solely from focal lesions. This suggests inflammatory factors contribute to neurodegeneration in the cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with grey matter neurodegeneration, including neuronal, glial, synaptic, and axonal loss.
- The mechanisms driving MS neurodegeneration remain unclear, with cortical demyelinating lesions being a potential but poorly understood cause.
- Investigating cortical pathology in vivo is challenging due to the difficulty in identifying these lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and quantify cellular and subcellular pathology in the cortex of a marmoset experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model.
- To utilize quantitative immunohistochemical methods to analyze cortical changes in EAE.
Main Methods:
- Induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in marmosets using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG).
- Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of cortical tissue.
- Assessment of neuronal size, axonal damage, synaptic loss, gliosis, and oligodendrocyte changes.
Main Results:
- Diffuse axonal damage, synaptic loss, and gliosis were observed throughout the cortical grey matter, with a 13.6% decrease in neuronal size in deep cortical layers.
- Demyelinated cortical lesions showed significant axonal damage and a 29.6-36.5% loss of oligodendrocytes.
- Leucocortical lesions exhibited 22.2% neuronal loss and a 15.8% increase in oligodendrocyte size.
Conclusions:
- The MOG-induced marmoset EAE model demonstrates both focal and generalized neurodegeneration.
- Generalized neurodegenerative changes are not solely attributable to focal lesions.
- These generalized changes may result from diffusible inflammatory factors or secondary degeneration (trans-synaptic or retrograde) from remote lesions.
