Beta-adrenergic agonists suppress chronic/relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (CREAE) in Lewis rats

Chronic/relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (CREAE) serves as an animal model for relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis. Treatment with the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol or the beta 2-adrenergic agonist terbutaline significantly suppressed both the first acute attack and the number of relapses in CREAE Lewis rats. The number of relapses was decreased even when treatment with beta-adrenergic agonist was started after the onset of the first acute attack of CREAE. beta-adrenergic receptor number was increased significantly on splenocytes from CREAE rats as compared to healthy controls or CFA-injected rats. Terbutaline treatment of CREAE rats lowered the splenocyte receptor number to normal values.