Influenza vaccine and learning in C57BL mice with an acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Abstract

Literature data suggest possible link between influenza vaccination and development of autoimmune processes. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of influenza vaccination on spatial learning in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE was induced in eight-week-old C57BL/6J female mice by subcutaneous immunization (MOG35–55 in complete Freund’s adjuvant) and Pertussis vaccine injected intraperitoneally. Mice were vaccinated with influenza vaccine three days before MOG immunization. The hippocampal-dependent spatial learning test, Morris Water Maze test (MWM), was performed before and after EAE induction. Significant difference (P < 0.05) in the time for completing the Morris Water Maze task was found between mice with mild clinical signs of EAE when compared to other mice. However no significant difference was observed between mice with EAE and mice with EAE that were vaccinated with influenza vaccine. Hippocampal tissue lesions in EAE mice are in correlation with memory impairment. Study shows no influence of influenza vaccine on progression of clinical signs of EAE, spatial learning and memory impairment.

Vaccination and autoimmunity: Influenza vaccination and association with multiple sclerosis

“…Our findings mainly confirm that there is no effect of influenza split vaccination on memory impairment in MOG induced EAE mice and no significant influence on hippocampal-dependent spatial learning. Additionally, although clinical signs of EAE are very subtle, the lesions that have been found in the hippocampal region of the brain could be associated with memory dysfunction observed during the course of MWM testing 114 . Even though the initial studies have demonstrated that influenza infection induces deficits in spatial learning and memory loss in adult mice at day 7 post infection, conflicting data exist regarding the connection between MS and other autoimmune illnesses and vaccination 95,111 .…”