Fig. 4. Pharmacological inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase prevents adhesion of activated lymphoytes to brain endothelial cells. Adhesion of lymphocytes isolated from SJL/J mice immunized with PLP_139-151/CFA to mouse brain endothelial bEnd.3 cells is reduced by pre-incubation of lymphocytes or endothelial cells with amitriptyline (a, b; n=3). The same result was observed, when lymphocytes from C57Bl/6 mice immunized with MOG_aa35-55/CFA were treated with amitriptyline (c, wt: n = 21). Lymphocytes from immunized acid sphingomyelinase-deficient mice (n= 12) served as control and underlined that the pharmacological approaches are able to reduce adhesion to their same extend. Shown are means ± SD; *p ≤ 0.05.