Effects of Gliadin on Autoimmune Responses of Central Nervous System of C57BL/6 Mice.

Abstract

Gluten sensitivity contributes to various degrees of neurological manifestations and neurodegenerative immunological changes. We investigated the experimental features of anti-gliadin immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice. Female C57BL6 mice were divided into three groups. Mice immunized with complete Freund s adjuvant (CFA) or gliadin emulsified in CFA, and the control group received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Immunohistochemistry, hematoxylin-eosin, and Luxol fast blue staining were performed on the sections. The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to assess the mRNA levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-2 (CXCL-2), C-C motif chemokine ligand-2 (CCL-2), and CXCL-10.\xa0 In gliadin+CFA immunized mice, the microscopic lesions included perivascular edema, focal-microgliosis, and acute neuronal necrosis in the cortex, subcortical, Purkinje cell layer, and ventral horn of the spinal cord. While extravasation of anti-IgG antibodies and selective targeting of Purkinje cells were observed in gliadin+CFA immunized mice. A significant increase in serum IL-17 and IFN-g levels (p<0.05), as well as expression of CXCL-2, CCL-2, and CXCL-10 in mice immunized with gliadin+CFA, were monitored versus controls. Our findings indicated that the immune responses directed against gliadin peptides might\xa0contribute to blood-brain barrier breakdown, extravasation of serum anti-IgG, gliosis, and acute neuronal necrosis in the cortex and cerebellar Purkinje cells. Anti-IgG antibodies may cause extravasation of blood-born anti-gliadin antibodies and selective targeting of Purkinje cells observed in mice immunized with peptide tryptic (pt) -gliadin in CFA.