Anti-inflammatory therapy by ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, in demyelination of twitcher, a genetic demyelination model.

Background Twitcher mouse (twi/twi) is an authentic murine model of Krabbe's disease. Accumulation of psychosine, resulting in apoptosis of oligodendrocytes and subsequent demyelination, is a cardinal event to the pathogenesis of this disease. Moreover, recruitment of inflammatory cells plays a significant role in the pathological process in the twi/twi central and peripheral nervous systems. In this study, we investigated the 1) the relationship between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), pro-inflammatory cytokine, and the progression of this disease and 2) effect of the anti-inflammatory therapy by ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.