Myelin basic protein-reactive T cells induce conduction failure in vivo but not in vitro

The ability of myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactiveT cells to induce conduction failure was investigated in vivo and in vitro. With the in vivo model, somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded before and during adoptively transferred experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Lewis rats. Maximum amplitude SEP were reached within 15 min of anesthesia. During EAE, the SEP decreased considerably and their onset was delayed. However, the compound action potentials (CAPs) recorded from Lewis rat optic nerves incubated with encephalitogenic T cells in vitro were not affected, emphasizing the importance of environmental factors. This study shows that the in vivo model described here is an useful means of investigating the neurological disorders associated with EAE.