[Myelin toxicity of the serum of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in nerve tissue cultures].

In order to study the myelinotoxicity of the blood serum in patients with lateral amyotrophical sclerosis the authors used myelinated explants of the spinal cord of mice embryo. A total amount of 17 blood sera of patients with lateral amyotrophical sclerosis was studied. It was demonstrated that the serum of such patients introduced into nourishing medium in a concentration of 25% does not lead to an expressed demyelination of the nervous fibres. Cultivation of the spinal cord in a medium, containing 5--25% of the patient sera from the moment of explanation does not influence the process of myeline sheath formation. These data indicate that the serum of patients with lateral amyotrophical sclerosis do not possess myelinotoxic and myelininhibiting properties.