ABSTRACT
Organotypical cultures of the spinal cord of the fetal mouse were used to study the neurocytotoxic effect of sera from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sera from 16 patients with ALS were used in two experiments: 1. short-term treatment (up to 6 days) of the mature cultures with nutrient medium containing 30% of ALS serum; 2. long-term cultivation from the explantation up to 4 weeks of spinal cord in the medium containing 5-25% of ALS serum. No specific neurotoxic effect of ALS sera on the motor neurons of the cultured spinal cord were observed in acute or chronic experiments.
Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/blood , Immune Sera/pharmacology , Motor Neurons , Spinal Cord , Adult , Aged , Animals , Culture Techniques , Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Humans , Mice , Middle Aged , Organ SpecificityABSTRACT
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.
Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/blood , Demyelinating Diseases/etiology , Immune Sera/toxicity , Myelin Sheath , Adult , Aged , Animals , Culture Techniques , Humans , Mice , Microscopy, Electron , Middle Aged , Myelin Sheath/ultrastructure , Spinal CordABSTRACT
In the treatment of 31 patients with lateral amyotrophical sclerosis the authors used the preparation ENKAD containing a complex of mono- and oligoribonucleotides. In 6 cases there was aggravation of the condition while in 18 of the observed cases--improvement. In 7 patients the condition was not altered. The treatment was convened under biochemical control (the assessment of the uric acid in the blood serum and urine and the excretion of oxypurine in the urine). It was possible to depict definite clinicobiochemical correlations. The conclusion is made that ENKAD can be used in the early stages of the disease and mainly in focal segmentary-nuclear lesions. The preparation is contraindicated in generalization of the process and in impetuous development of the disorder.
