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.
Department of Anatomy, University of Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
W L
WL
Maxwell
R
R
Bullock
A
A
Scott
Y
Y
Kuroda
D I
DI
Graham
G
G
Gallagher
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