The C57BL mice: an animal model for inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

Recently it has been reported that the C57BL mice can be used as a model of benign monoclonal gammopathy (MG). Since experimental models have until now failed to reproduce specific lesions of human dysglobulinemic polyneuropathies, we decided to investigate the peripheral nerve of these mice. The sciatic nerve and the serum from 14 C57BL mice were examined: 9 of these animals were found to have an IgG, kappa light chain MG, while in the other 5 no abnormalities were detected in the serum. In the 14 mice, features of demyelination were found in certain fibers, as well as onion-bulb formations around other myelinated fibers. Features of active demyelination were found in 10 animals and it must be underlined that three of these had no serum abnormalities. The decrease of the conduction velocities and the temperature coefficients Q10 of the C57BL mice suggest a good correlation between morphological and functional parameters. This strongly suggests that this strain of mice provides a suitable model for inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (IDPN).