Lipophilin-induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in guinea pigs

Clinical signs of EAE were infrequently observed (1/20) in adult Hartley guinea pigs challenged with isolated human myelin lipophilin in complete Freund's adjuvant. However, CNS vasculitis and parenchymal infiltration by inflammatory cells were found in 10 of 20 inoculated animals. Localized, nonconfluent, small demyelinated lesions were detected in the brain and spinal cord of 5/20 Hartley guinea pigs during an observation period of 120 days. The frequency of both inflammatory and demyelinated lesions in Hartley animals appeared to be dose-dependent, but extensive demyelinated lesions were not induced. Persistent residual inoculation mixture at the site of injection was found in animals showing CNS inflammatory and/or demyelinated lesions. In contrast to the Hartley strain, young strain 13 guinea pigs were clinically and pathologically unresponsive to challenge with lipophilin and mycobacteria in water-in-oil emulsion.