Brain creatine kinase activity after meningitis induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Bacterial meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with a significant mortality rate and persisting neurologic sequelae including sensory-motor deficits, seizures, and impairments of learning and memory. Creatine kinase (CK) is an effective buffering system of cellular ATP levels in high-energy consuming tissues; a decrease in CK activity is associated with a neurodegenerative pathway that results in neuronal loss. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate brain CK activity after pneumococcal meningitis. The animals underwent a magna cistern tap receiving either sterile saline as a placebo or an equivalent volume of a S. pneumoniae suspension; they were killed 6, 12, 24 and 48h after that, the brain was removed and hippocampus, striatum, cerebellum, cerebral cortex and prefrontal cortex were dissected and used for the determination of CK activity. We verified that CK activity was not altered 6 and 12h after meningitis. Interestingly, 24h after the induction of the meningitis we observed a decrease in CK activity. Finally, CK activity was not altered 48h after meningitis. Although it is difficult to extrapolate our findings to the human condition, the inhibition of brain CK activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal meningitis.
Barichello
Tatiana
T
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Experimental, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil. tba@unesc.net
Silva
Geruza Z
GZ
Savi
Geovana D
GD
Torquato
Joana M
JM
Batista
Ana L
AL
Scaini
Giselli
G
Rezin
Gislaine T
GT
Santos
Patricia M
PM
Feier
Gustavo
G
Streck
Emilio L
EL
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D052276:Creatine Kinase, BB Form / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D052276:Creatine Kinase, BB Form