title: Excess glutamate in the cerebrospinal fluid in bacterial meningitis.
abstract: We investigated possible neurotoxic components in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with bacterial meningitis. On murine cerebellar neuronal cell cultures, CSF exerted a dose-dependent toxic effect, which was attenuated by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. Glutamate concentrations in the CSF of patients with bacterial meningitis were measured by an enzymatic assay and found to be significantly elevated (p < 0.001) as compared to viral meningitis and non-inflammatory neurological diseases. The concentration of glutamate in the CSF of patients with bacterial meningitis varied considerably and correlated with the severity of the disease as scored by the Glasgow Coma Scale. Cells in the CSF, mainly comprising polymorphonuclear granulocytes, did not release any glutamate into the culture medium, whereas blood monocytes produced remarkable amounts. These findings implicate an important role of monocytic inflammatory cells in bacterial meningitis by the release of glutamate, which may contribute to neuronal cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spranger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krempien
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maiwald
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hacke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D018698:Glutamic Acid