Monitoring of EAE onset and progression in the common marmoset monkey by sequential high-resolution 3D MRI

Abstract

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by myelin–oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) is a model for multiple sclerosis. Here, EAE was induced in four common marmosets by 250–300 µg recombinant rat MOG. In addition to a detailed disability scoring, T2- and T1-weighted high-resolution 3D MRI was performed to assess the onset and development of cerebral lesions. The findings were confirmed by histopathology in all animals. Although the animals exhibited a large heterogeneity with regard to onset and localization of lesions and also to disease duration and severity of disability signs, none of the animals revealed any evidence of recovery. A specification of the disability scoring system to account for different aspects of the disease led to a good concurrence of the first MRI-detectable lesion and the onset of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms. The results suggest that MRI monitoring of white matter lesions in conjunction with disability scores that focus on CNS symptoms may be a suitable method to evaluate novel therapeutic interventions even in the presence of pronounced interindividual heterogeneity.