Figure 1

Chronic stress ameliorates MOG-induced EAE in DA rats. A Experimental design: one week after habituation of animals they were inoculated with MOG/CFA (EAE and EAE+S groups), only with CFA (Control and S groups) and submitted (S and EAE+S groups) or not (Control and EAE groups) to stress for 21 or 12 days depending on the experiment. B Clinical score in EAE-induced animals submitted or not to stress according to this score: 0, no disease; 1, tail paralysis; 2, hind limb weakness; 3, hind limb paralysis; 4, hind limb paralysis plus forelimb weakness; 5, moribund or dead. Clinical signs appeared earlier in the EAE+S group, but at day 21 the clinical score for the EAE group was 1.88 vs 1.54 in the EAE+S group. C Stress and EAE induced an increase in plasma corticosterone levels. D GR expression in spinal cord was increased by EAE and stress, and the EAE+S group showed the highest expression. # p < 0,05 vs Control; ## p < 0,01 vs Control; *p < 0,05 vs EAE one way ANOVA test followed by a Newman-Keuls (MOG: myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein; CFA: Complete Freunds Adjuvant; EAE: Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis).