Effects of imatinib mesylate in mouse models of multiple sclerosis and in vitro determinants

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a mouse model for multiple sclerosis (MS), This autoimmune disease is mainly mediated by adaptive and innate immune responses that lead to an inflammatory demyelination and axonal damage. Imatinib mesylate is a selective protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor with immunomodulatory properties that abrogates multiple signal transduction pathways in immune cells. In the present research, our aim was to test the therapeutic efficacy of imatinib in experimental model of MS. We performed EAE induction in 23 female C57 mice by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-35-55 (MOG35-55) in Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) emulsion and used imatinib for treatment of EAE. The clinical evaluation and histopathology were assessed. Also for in vitro analysis, we used U-87 MG, C6 and WEHI-164 cell lines to evaluate the inhibitory effects of imatinib in cell proliferation, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion. Our findings demonstrated that this drug had beneficial effects on EAE by attenuation in the severity and a delay in the onset of disease. In vitro, imatinib inhibited cell proliferation, MMP-2 expression and activity and also attenuated the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Imatinib with its potential therapeutic effects and immunomodulatory properties may be considered, after additional necessary tests and trials, for treatment of MS.