Multiple Sclerosis and Glutamate

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2003-05, Vol.993 (1), p.229-275
• Main Authors: GROOM, ANTHONY J., SMITH, TERENCE, TURSKI, LECHOSLAW
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AMPA antagonists; Animals; Brain Stem - immunology; Brain Stem - pathology; demyelinating disorders; Disease Models, Animal; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - drug therapy; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - etiology; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - physiopathology; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - immunology; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - therapeutic use; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; glutamate; glutamate antagonists; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy; Multiple Sclerosis - etiology; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Nootropic Agents - pharmacology; Nootropic Agents - therapeutic use; Pyrrolidinones - pharmacology; Pyrrolidinones - therapeutic use; Quinoxalines - immunology; Quinoxalines - pharmacology; Quinoxalines - therapeutic use; Rats; Receptors, AMPA - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptors, AMPA - metabolism; Spinal Cord - immunology; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal Cord - ultrastructure
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb07533.x

: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis reproduces in rodents the features of multiple sclerosis, an immune‐mediated, disabling disorder of the human nervous system. No adequate therapy is available for multiple sclerosis, despite anti‐inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and immunomodulatory measures. Increasingly glutamate is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Here we (1) review changes in the glutamatergic system in multiple sclerosis and (2) reveal the effects of glutamate AMPA antagonists in acute and chronic rodent models of multiple sclerosis. Administration of structurally diverse competitive and non‐competitive AMPA antagonists reduces neurologic disability in rodents subjected to acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. In addition, AMPA antagonists are active in both the adoptive transfer and in chronic models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats and mice and affect both the acute and chronic relapsing phases. Moreover, short‐term therapy with AMPA antagonists leads to sustained benefit well into the progressive phases. These results imply that therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis should be complemented by glutamate AMPA antagonists to reduce neurologic disability.