DIETARY PROTECTION AGAINST THE VISUAL AND MOTOR DEFICITS INDUCED BY EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS

5-8% of the world population currently suffers from at least one autoimmune disorder. Despite multiple immune modulatory therapies for autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the CNS, these treatments are restricted to subsets of patients. To overcome these barriers, we investigated a nutritional intervention in mice undergoing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This model of autoimmune-mediated demyelination induces visual and motor pathologies similar to those experienced by patients with multiple sclerosis. Here, we report that limiting dietary carbohydrates by feeding mice a well-formulated ketogenic diet (WFKD) enriched in medium chain triglycerides, α-linolenic acid, and fiber protects from EAE-induced optic neuritis and motor deficits. The WFKD increased circulating ketones but did not cause weight gain while preserving visual acuity and motor function in both female and male EAE mice. Immunohistochemistry of optic nerves revealed that the WFKD preserved oligodendrocytes and reduced infiltrating T cells and macrophages. The WFKD also increased anti-inflammatory-associated omega-3 fatty acids in the plasma and reduced select cytokines in the circulation associated with inflammation and EAE pathologies. In support of ongoing clinical trials using dietary strategies to treat MS patients, these findings support that a WFKD promotes a systemic anti-inflammatory milieu that mitigates autoimmune-induced demyelinating visual and motor deficits.