The effects of diet on the severity of central nervous system disease: One part of lab-to-lab variability

Abstract

<div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S1"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d636791e149">Objective</h5> <p id="P2">Many things can impact the reproducibility of results from laboratory to laboratory. For example food from various sources can vary markedly in composition. We examined the effects of two different food sources, the Teklad Global Soy Protein-Free Extruded Rodent Diet (irradiated diet) and the Teklad Sterilizable Rodent Diet (autoclaved diet), on central nervous system disease. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S2"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d636791e154">Research Methods &amp; Procedures</h5> <p id="P3">Three preclinical models for human disease: two different experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) models (multiple sclerosis) and the Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced seizure model (epilepsy), were examined for the effects of two different food sources on disease. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S3"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d636791e159">Results</h5> <p id="P4">We found that mice fed the irradiated diet had more severe clinical disease and enhanced seizures compared to animals provided the autoclaved diet in both EAE models examined and in the TMEV-induced seizure model, respectively. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S4"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d636791e164">Conslusions</h5> <p id="P5">Therefore, just altering the source of food (lab chow) can have marked effects on disease severity and outcome. </p> </div>