This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Voskuhl, R. R. Articles by Palaszynski, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Voskuhl, R. R. Articles by Palaszynski, K. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Multiple Sclerosis Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Sex Hormones in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis

Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, rvoskuhl{at}ucla.edu

Karen Palaszynski

Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles

For decades, it has been known that females are more susceptible than males to multiple sclerosis (MS). It has also long been appreciated that during late pregnancy there is a decrease in MS disease activity. Interestingly, these two observations have also been made in an extensively used animal model for MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in SJL mice. Female mice are more susceptible to disease than male mice, and there is an improvement in disease during late pregnancy. In this review, the role of sex hormones in each of these two observations is characterized in this EAE model using castration and exogenous hormone treatment strategies. The gender difference in EAE susceptibility is due primarily to a protective effect of testosterone in male mice. The decrease in disease severity during late pregnancy appears to be due at least in part to high levels of estriol, which characterize this time period.

Key Words: Multiple sclerosis • Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis • Estrogen • Testosterone • IL-10

The Neuroscientist, Vol. 7, No. 3, 258-270 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/107385840100700310


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. E. Nashold, K. M. Spach, J. A. Spanier, and C. E. Hayes Estrogen Controls Vitamin D3-Mediated Resistance to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Controlling Vitamin D3 Metabolism and Receptor Expression J. Immunol., September 15, 2009; 183(6): 3672 - 3681. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Barnard, A. P. Chidgey, C. C. Bernard, and R. L. Boyd Androgen depletion increases the efficacy of bone marrow transplantation in ameliorating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis Blood, January 1, 2009; 113(1): 204 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Dunn, S. S. Ousman, R. A. Sobel, L. Zuniga, S. E. Baranzini, S. Youssef, A. Crowell, J. Loh, J. Oksenberg, and L. Steinman Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR){alpha} expression in T cells mediates gender differences in development of T cell-mediated autoimmunity J. Exp. Med., February 19, 2007; 204(2): 321 - 330. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. -A. Laplaud, E. Leray, P. Barriere, S. Wiertlewski, and T. Moreau Increase in multiple sclerosis relapse rate following in vitro fertilization Neurology, April 25, 2006; 66(8): 1280 - 1281. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Reddy, H. Waldner, X. Zhang, Z. Illes, K. W. Wucherpfennig, R. A. Sobel, and V. K. Kuchroo Cutting Edge: CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Contribute to Gender Differences in Susceptibility to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis J. Immunol., November 1, 2005; 175(9): 5591 - 5595. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Dasgupta, M. Jana, X. Liu, and K. Pahan Myelin Basic Protein-primed T Cells of Female but Not Male Mice Induce Nitric-oxide Synthase and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Microglia: IMPLICATIONS FOR GENDER BIAS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS J. Biol. Chem., September 23, 2005; 280(38): 32609 - 32617. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. H. van den Broek, J. G. Damoiseaux, M. H De Baets, and R. M. Hupperts The influence of sex hormones on cytokines in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: a review Multiple Sclerosis, June 1, 2005; 11(3): 349 - 359. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Matejuk, C. Hopke, A. A. Vandenbark, P. D. Hurn, and H. Offner Middle-Age Male Mice Have Increased Severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Are Unresponsive to Testosterone Therapy J. Immunol., February 15, 2005; 174(4): 2387 - 2395. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Fillmore, E. P. Blankenhorn, J. F. Zachary, and C. Teuscher Adult Gonadal Hormones Selectively Regulate Sexually Dimorphic Quantitative Traits Observed in Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis Am. J. Pathol., January 1, 2004; 164(1): 167 - 175. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]