Cryptococcal glucuronoxylomannan delays translocation of leukocytes across the blood-brain barrier in an animal model of acute bacterial meningitis.
In bacterial meningitis, neurological damage is associated with a high influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) into the brain. Previous data suggest that the capsular component of the fungus C. neoformans, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), interferes with PMN-migration into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Therefore, a rabbit model of bacterial meningitis was treated intravenously with GXM. This resulted in (1) a reduction of PMN in the CSF at 6 h (P=0.05), (2) reduced peak TNF-alpha concentrations in the CSF, and (3) diminished tissue inflammation and intravascular margination of PMN in GXM-treated animals. Thus, GXM may represent a novel adjuvant anti-inflammatory agent in bacterial meningitis.
Lipovsky
M M
MM
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and AIDS, Eijkman Winkler Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Tsenova
L
L
Coenjaerts
F E
FE
Kaplan
G
G
Cherniak
R
R
Hoepelman
A I
AI
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000737:chemistry*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D011134:Polysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C027478:glucuronoxylomannan