| Abstract: | A single intravenous injection of dimethyl sulfoxide disturbed permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and caused passage of rhodamin from the blood into the brain in guinea pigs. Brain microinjury, injection of Freund's complete adjuvant or dimethyl sulfoxide increased BBB permeability to brain antigens detected in the animals' blood as early as the first 24 hours after the procedure. Antibodies appeared in the serum and/or delayed type hypersensitivity cell reactions formed in some of the animals later. Daily intraperitoneal dimethyl sulfoxide injections led to increase of the morbidity and mortality indices among animals with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced by sensitization with myelin basic protein and Freud's complete adjuvant. The results of the experiment show the important role of BBB permeability in the pathogenesis of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. |
