Brain and spinal cord levels of histamine in Lewis rats with acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in Lewis rats by inoculation with guinea pig spinal cord homogenate emulsified with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-enriched complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Control rats were inoculated with CFA alone. Control and EAE rats were killed on days 7, 9, 11, and 13 postinoculation, and regional brain and spinal cord levels of histamine were determined. No regional differences in histamine content between control and EAE rats were seen on day 7 or 9 postinoculation. However, depending on the region, EAE rats exhibited significantly higher levels of histamine in their CNS on day 11 or 13 postinoculation or on both. Thus, regionally and temporally specific increases in brain and spinal cord levels of histamine develop concomitant with or just after the appearance (on day 10 postinoculation) of clinical signs of acute EAE, a finding suggesting that histamine may be involved in the development or expression of acute EAE in Lewis rats.