Cuprizone Model as a Tool for Preclinical Studies of the Efficacy of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis and Therapy.

To study demyelination and remyelination processes and their response to different drugs, a protocol for modeling multiple sclerosis using the copper chelator cuprizone was developed. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of demyelination lesions on week 4 of 0.6% cuprizone-containing diet. Immunohistochemical staining with polyclonal antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (pAb GFAP) confirmed the increase in the number of reactive astrocytes on week 4 of diet and during remyelination (week 2 after diet). Analysis of neurophysiological functions in mice with cuprizone-induced demyelination revealed motor and behavioral deficits. This model can be used as a tool for preclinical studies of the efficiency of multiple sclerosis diagnostic and therapy.