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The Effects of Simvastatin in Clinical Outcome and in the Development of Th17 Immune Response in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

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Author(s):
Daniel May de Oliveira
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Master's Dissertation
Press: São Paulo.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara; Alexandre Salgado Basso; Leonilda Maria Barbosa dos Santos
Advisor: Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
Abstract

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is considered the experimental model for the human multiple sclerosis disease. It has been demonstrated that statins, used as lipid-lowering agents, can have beneficial effects on EAE. Several actions have been described to explain these effects: enhancement of HO-1 expression, inhibition of Toll-like receptors expression and inhibition of Th1 cytokines. We have investigated the effect of a statin, simvastatin, on EAE clinical development and the mechanisms behind those effects. Simvastatin treatment ameliorated EAE clinical outcome at doses 1 and 5 mg/kg/day. SNC cellular infiltrates analysis showed altered pattern of differentiation with decreased percentage of IL-17-producing T lymphocytes in treated group comparing with controls. TLR4 -/- mice showed better clinical development. We concluded that simvastatin treatment ameliorates EAE clinical outcome through inhibition of IL-17 production. Mice TLR4 -/- have better EAE clinical outcome than WT controls. (AU)