Sodium Benzoate, a Food Additive and a Metabolite of Cinnamon, Modifies T Cells at Multiple Steps and Inhibits Adoptive Transfer of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis

Abstract

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the animal model for multiple sclerosis. This study explores a novel use of sodium benzoate (NaB), a commonly used food additive and a Food and Drug Administration-approved nontoxic drug for urea cycle disorders, in treating the disease process of relapsing-remitting EAE in female SJL/J mice. NaB, administered through drinking water at physiologically tolerable doses, ameliorated clinical symptoms and disease progression of EAE in recipient mice and suppressed the generation of encephalitogenic T cells in donor mice. Histological studies reveal that NaB effectively inhibited infiltration of mononuclear cells and demyelination in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Consequently, NaB also suppressed the expression of proinflammatory molecules and normalized myelin gene expression in the CNS of EAE mice. Furthermore, we observed that NaB switched the differentiation of myelin basic protein-primed T cells from Th1 to Th2 mode, enriched regulatory T cell population, and down-regulated the expression of various contact molecules in T cells. Taken together, our results suggest that NaB modifies encephalitogenic T cells at multiple steps and that NaB may have therapeutic importance in multiple sclerosis.

Gemfibrozil, a Lipid-lowering Drug, Increases Myelin Genes in Human Oligodendrocytes via Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-β

“…11C). Earlier we have demonstrated a decrease in myelin gene expression in CNS tissues of EAE mice (28,30). Accordingly, here we also saw decreased protein levels of PLP and MOG in the spinal cord of PLP-TCR Tg mice compared with the non-Tg control (Fig.…”

“…Staining for Myelin-Spinal cord sections were stained with Luxol fast blue for myelin as described earlier (28,30). Slides were assessed in a blinded fashion for demyelination by three examiners using the following scale: 0, normal white matter; 1, rare foci; 2, a few areas of demyelination; and 3, large areas of demyelination.…”

Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α Induces Lysosomal Biogenesis in Brain Cells

“…Isolation of Primary Mouse Astroglia-Astroglia were isolated from mixed glial cultures as described (24,25) according to the procedure of Giulian and Baker (26). Briefly, on day 9, the mixed glial cultures were washed three times with Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F-12 and subjected to shaking at 240 rpm for 2 h at 37°C on a rotary shaker to remove microglia.…”

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Altering Balance among CD4+ T-Cell Subsets

“…Furthermore, Th17 cells are implicated in this model and in several other autoimmune diseases. Although some autoimmune responses formerly attributed to Th1 cells are now believed to be mediated by Th17 cells, recent studies [5][6][7][8][9] continue to emphasize the importance of Th1 cells in EAE development. In fact, EAE can be induced by transfer of either Th17 or Th1 cells.…”