Linomide suppresses experimental autoimmune neuritis in Lewis rats by inhibiting myelin antigen-reactive T and B cell responses

Linomide (quinoline-3-carboxamide) is a synthetic immunomodulator that suppresses several experimental autoimmune diseases. Here we report the effects of Linomide on experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), a CD4⁺ T cell-mediated animal model of acute Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in humans. EAN induced in Lewis rats by inoculation with bovine peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin and Freund's complete adjuvant was strongly suppressed by Linomide administered daily subcutaneously from the day of inoculation. Linomide dose-dependently delayed the interval between immunization and onset of clinical EAN, as well as the severity of EAN symptoms. These clinical effects were associated with dose-dependent down-modulation of PNS antigen- induced T and B cell responses and with suppression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-12, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mRNA. In PNS sections, Linomide suppressed IL-12 and TNF-α, and up- regulated IL-10 mRNA expression. These findings suggest that Linomide could be useful in certain T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases.