Abstract
Rats with lesions restricted to the locus ceruleus were tested for immune inflammatory reactions. In these rats, Arthus and delayed skin hypersensitivity reactions to bovine serum albumin and old tuberculin were suppressed. The ablation of locus ceruleus completely inhibited the development of clinical signs of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, markedly diminished the Occurrence and intensity of lesions in the central nervous system, and significantly reduced the production of antibody against the rat brain myelin basic protein. These results establish a link between the locus ceruleus and immune inflammatory reactions in the rat.