Cerebroside antibody inhibits sulfatide synthesis and myelination and demyelinates in cord tissue cultures.

Antiserum to cerebroside was prepared in rabbits by injection of cerebroside together with bovine serum albumin in complete Freund's adjuvant. When applied to cultures of embryo mouse spinal cord at explantation, this antiserum inhibited sulfatide synthesis and myelination; when applied to myelinated cultures it inhibited sulfatide synthesis and produced demyelination. Complement fixation assays also show antibody to cerebroside in serums from rabbits with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced by injection of whole white matter. Absorption of such serum with cerebroside abolishes the inhibiting and demyelinating activities.