Serum cytotoxicity to human and rat oligodendrocytes in culture

Serum from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can cause demyelination in rat CNS explant cultures and induce cytotoxicity to rat oligodendrocytes in culture. The interpretation of these findings for MS is complicated by the fact that injury to myelin and oligodendrocytes can also be induced with normal human serum. In this study, we confirmed that serum from MS patients and healthy control subjects can cause in vitro toxicity to rat oligodendrocytes, as established by a 51Cr release assay, but we did not detect toxicity to human cultured oligodendrocytes. Morphologic changes after 5-6 h incubation with the sera were also extensive in the rat oligodendrocyte cultures. No morphologic changes or changes in cell numbers could be detected in the human cultures upon examination by light microscopy and by immunofluorescent staining with anti-GalC antibody.