Experimental allergic neuritis. I. Rat strain differences in the response to bovine myelin antigens

Strain differences among rats to the induction and severity of experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in response to whole PNS myelin were observed. Lewis rats were highly susceptible and developed severe EAN without central nervous system lesions (EAE), while Brown Norway rats were most resistant. Wistar, Sprague-Dawley, and Buffalo rats were susceptible but developed less severe disease than Lewis rats. Only Lewis rats consistantly developed EAN in response to isolated P2 protein. The severity of EAN was enhanced by treatment of the P2 with mercaptoethanol prior to injection. None of the strains developed EAN in response to galactocerebroside and none developed the lesions of EAE in response to any of the bovine myelin antigens tested. Myelin protein profiles from these rat strains were similar which suggests that factors other than target tissue differences, such as genetically determined immune responses to bovine myelin antigens, must be involved in these differing responses.