Fibrinogen depleting agent batroxobin has a beneficial effect on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Apr;31(3):437-48. doi: 10.1007/s10571-010-9637-2. Epub 2010 Dec 17.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) was characterized with widespread demyelination and axonal loss of central nervous system (CNS). Fibrinogen (fibrin) deposition was considered as one of the pathogenesis of MS. Therefore, we explored the effects of fibrinogen depleting agent batroxobin in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice model. Our study showed that prevention and suppression with batroxobin significantly ameliorated clinical severity of EAE, reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, and demyelination, and suppressed the activation of astrocytes and macrophages comprising the CD11b(+) population. Batroxobin treatment leads to reduced expression of p-Akt and increased expression of MBP as compared to control. In addition, batroxobin treatment partly reversed the dendric-like formation of macrophages irritated by fibrinogen in vitro. The reduced severity of EAE mice treated with batroxobin suggests that strategy targeting fibrin as a potential therapy for EAE may be beneficial for the treatment of MS patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Batroxobin / pharmacology
  • Batroxobin / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Line
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fibrinogen / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Spinal Cord / metabolism
  • Spinal Cord / pathology

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Fibrinogen
  • Batroxobin