[Guillain-Barré syndrome].

Critical role of interleukin (IL)-17 in inflammatory and immune disorders: An updated review of the evidence focusing in controversies.

Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg cytokines in Guillain-Barré syndrome and experimental autoimmune neuritis.

Statins are pharmacological inhibitors of the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cholesterol. Some recent experimental studies have shown that besides their effects on the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, statins may also have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects through diverse mechanisms. On the other hand, the induction and activity of regulatory T cells (Treg) are key processes in the prevention of pathology during chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Hence, strategies oriented towards the therapeutic expansion of Tregs are gaining special attention among biomedical researchers. The potential effects of statins on the biology of Treg are of particular importance because of their eventual application as in vivo inducers of Treg in the treatment of multiple conditions. In this paper we review the experimental evidence pointing out to a potential effect of statins on the role of regulatory T cells in different conditions and discuss its potential clinical significance.

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Statins as Modulators of Regulatory T-Cell Biology

Statins: From cholesterol-lowering drugs to novel immunomodulators for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases

Atorvastatin ameliorates experimental autoimmune neuritis by decreased Th1/Th17 cytokines and up-regulated T regulatory cells.

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone ameliorates experimental autoimmune neuritis in Lewis rats.

AIM To explore the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on cellular immune response in experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). METHODS 21 female Lewis rats were randomly divided into DHEA 0.5 mg treatment groups, 2 mg treatment groups and control group ( n=7). Treatment groups were subcutaneously injected every day with DHEA and the control group with the same level of DHEA dissolvent from day 5 post immunization (p.i) with bovine peripheral myelin (BPM) in Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA). The effects were assessed in terms of of the number of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha positive cells in sciatic nerve sections, T-cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-10) synthesis by draining lymph node and spleen cells at the height of clinical EAN. RESULTS Rats treated with DHEA at different doses displayed significant decreases in numbers of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha expressing cells in the PNS (P<0.05), BPM-stimulated T cell proliferation (P<0.05), IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha secretion in draining lymph node and spleen (P<0.05) compared to control group. No significant difference of supernatant IL-10 was found among the different groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Administration with exogenous DHEA inhabits cellular immune response by suppressing the proliferation of autoreactive T-cell and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in Lewis rats with EAN.

Chang-Wen Shi

Papers

Atorvastatin ameliorates experimental autoimmune neuritis by decreased Th1/Th17 cytokines and up-regulated T regulatory cells.

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone ameliorates experimental autoimmune neuritis in Lewis rats.

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on cellular immune response in experimental autoimmune neuritis in Lewis rats