Cellular immune reactions and blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier dysfunction in guinea pigs

Both young and adult strain 13 guinea pigs have been treated with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). In young animals CFA induced an increase in the lymphocyte cell count in blood and a reversible blood CSF barrier impairment. Both these effects could be suppressed by the immunosuppressant drug Cyclosporin A. In contrast to the young animals treatment with CFA in adult strain 13 guinea pigs influenced neither the lymphocyte cell count nor blood CSF barrier function. In young and adult CFA-treated animals the number of polymorphonuclear cells in blood were increased and this increase was not reversed by Cyclosporin A. We discuss the influence of a systemic immune stimulation and suppression on blood CSF barrier function for proteins and its relevance to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system.