Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in a low-susceptible rat strain.

The susceptibility to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis has been investigated in the previously little known Wistar/Furth rat stain. These rats have a low sensitivity, similar to that of the Fischer and PVG strains previously studied at our laboratory. However, some differences appear in the histological response of the three strains when a treatment with pertussis or cyclophosphamide is performed prior to the immunization, suggesting that different temporal patterns exist in the development of histological signs, according to the genetic background. The infiltrating cells may have different functions in rats of different genotypes.