Intravenous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor increases the release of tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-1beta into the cerebrospinal fluid, but does not inhibit the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae in experimental meningitis.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) possesses an antimicrobial effect in several animal models of infection. To evaluate a possible effect of G-CSF on the course of pneumococcal meningitis, rabbits infected intracisternally (i.c.) with Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 (n = 7) received 50 microgram/kg of rhG-CSF intravenously (i.v.) 1 h prior to infection. Seven infected animals served as controls. Uninfected rabbits received 10 microgram of G-CSF (n = 3), 2 microgram G-CSF (n = 3) or saline (n = 3) i.c. G-CSF injected i.c. did not produce cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leucocytosis. Compared with the control group, i.v. G-CSF given prior to i.c. infection increased the percentage of granulocytes in blood 6 h and 12 h after infection. Twelve hours after infection, CSF tumour necrosis factor (TNF) activity and CSF interleukin (IL)-1beta concentrations were significantly higher in G-CSF-treated animals. G-CSF did not decrease bacterial growth in the subarachnoid space and the CSF leucocyte densities were not influenced. At 24 h after infection, G-CSF did not reduce the CSF concentrations of neurone-specific enolase and the density of apoptotic neurones in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In conclusion, i.v. G-CSF increased the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the CSF but did not decrease the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the subarachnoid space.
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*