Reproductive Dysfunction in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

Abstract

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The latter is a human organ-specific autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). EAE is characterized by systemic inflammation associated with increased blood levels of proinflammatory mediators that potentially trigger inflammation of both reproductive organs and the CNS. Pathological changes in the hypothalamus-pituitary gland-gonadal axis have occasionally been reported in both the MS and EAE contexts. Such changes may affect the reproductive organs. We used the phrase "EAE and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonads (testis and ovary)" to retrieve relevant papers from PubMed. We postulated that EAE might be associated with inflammation of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and gonads, in turn indicating reproductive dysfunction. This paper overviews evidence supporting the roles of both hormonal and inflammatory alterations in animals with EAE. This aids our understanding of how certain autoimmune diseases are associated with infertility.