Adoptive protection from experimental myasthenia gravis with T cells from mice treated nasally with acetylcholine receptor epitopes

Nasal administration of synthetic CD4⁺ epitopes of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) prevents experimental myasthenia gravis (EMG) in C57Bl/6 mice, but not in IL4-deficient C57Bl/6 (IL4^-/-) mice. Here we verify that nasal tolerance requires IL4, by showing that CD4⁺ cells from C57Bl/6 mice treated nasally with a pool of AChR CD4⁺ epitopes protected IL4^-/- mice from EMG and caused a reduced production of anti-AChR antibody. CD4⁺ cells from C57Bl/6 mice treated with unrelated peptides or sham-treated did not induce protection. CD4⁺ cells from C57Bl/6 mice treated with just one AChR peptide protected IL4^-/- mice from EMG without affecting antibody synthesis.