An experimental Staphylococcus aureus meningitis model for investigating induced leptomeningeal and subpial inflammation in rats: a transmission electron microscopy study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate leptomeningeal and subpial inflammatory responses of experimental Staphylococcus aureus bacteriemia following intraperitoneal and intravenous applications and to compare the inflammatory reactions in different regions of central nervous system.


METHODS
Forty anesthetized rats were divided into four groups equal in number. The rats in group-I were given 1 ml suspension of Staphylococcus aureus intraperitoneally. Group-II was the control group of group I; it was administrated 1 ml 0.9% NaCl in water intraperitoneally. The rats in group-III were given the same amount of bacteria intravenously. Group IV was the control group of the group-III; it was administrated 1 ml 0.9% NaCl solution intravenously. The rats were sacrificed on the 21st day. Inflammatory changes of different regions of the central nervous system were examined under transmission electron microscopy. Statistical analysis was done by using variance analysis, Bonferroni, Tamhane post hoc, Student's t and univariate tests.


RESULTS
Thoracic and occipital regions were the most vulnerable zones. Increasing of collagen tissue was the most detected inflammatory change.


CONCLUSIONS
This experimental model can be used for inducing subpial and leptomeningeal inflammations and it may be developed for investigations of pathogenesis of leptomeningitis during systemic infections.
Guzel
Aslan
A
Department of Neurosurgery, Dicle University, School of Medicine, Diyarbakir,, Turkey.
Er
Uygur
U
Tatli
Mehmet
M
Aluclu
M Ufuk
MU
Ozekinci
Tuncer
T
Nergiz
Yusuf
Y
Ahishali
Bulent
B
Aktas
Gokhan
G
Kavak
Vatan
V
Nergiz
Sebnem
S
Ozkan
Umit
U
Satici
Omer
O
D000818:Animals; D001099:Arachnoid / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008578:Meninges / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010841:Pia Mater / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae