Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: suppression with SD-170, a new synthetic drug.

SD-170 is a new drug synthesized by Umezawa and associates. The clinical, pathological, and immunologic effects of this drug on acute EAE were investigated. In guinea pigs immunized with 5 micrograms MBP in CFA, SD-170 diminished the clinical severity as well as delaying the onset of death in acute EAE. All clinical observations were supported by histologic findings. On the contrary in animals immunized with spinal cord homogenate SD-170 did not suppress acute EAE. In SD-170 treated animals there seemed to be a lowered cellular response to MBP by the lymphocyte proliferative response test; there also seemed to be a lowered humoral antibody response to MBP. We conclude that SD-170 is an immunosuppressive of acute EAE.