Diffuse astrocytic swelling and increased second messenger activity following acute Haemophilus influenzae meningitis--evidence from a rat model.
Despite numerous epidemiological analyses of bacterial meningitis there is very little pathological data concerning the acute glial and neuronal responses to the disease. We have developed a safe, easily used rat model for Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis. We measured cerebral blood flow, glucose utilisation and second messenger activity in this model, and carried out parallel light and ultrastructural analysis of glial and neuronal responses. Only protein kinase C activity was changed from control values. We obtained evidence for massive astrocytic swelling and neuronal degeneration. We posit that cytotoxic mechanisms may contribute to the pathology of meningitis.
Maxwell
W L
WL
Department of Anatomy, University of Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
Bullock
R
R
Scott
A
A
Kuroda
Y
Y
Graham
D I
DI
Gallagher
G
G
D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000473:pathology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases