Myelin basic protein-specific T cells induce demyelinating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in buffalo rats

This is the first description of acute demyelinating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced in rats by myelin basic protein (BP)-specific T lymphocytes without the administration of demyelinating antibodies. BP-specific T cell lines were selected from inbred Buffalo-strain rats (Rt-1^b) following techniques used to develop similar lines from Lewis rats (Rt-1^l). Unlike those of Lewis those of Lewis rats, the spinal cords of Buffalo rats with T cell line-mediated EAE had prominent perivascular demyelination associated with mononuclear inflammation. Like Lewis rat lines, Buffalo rat BP-specific T cell lines transferred acute, non-relapsing EAE into syngeneic recipients, demonstrating that demyelination in passive acute EAE can occur without subsequent clinical relapses.