TY - JOUR
T1 - Bacterial pore-forming cytolysins induce neuronal damage in a rat model of neonatal meningitis
AU - Reiß, Anja
AU - Braun, Johann S.
AU - Jäger, Katja
AU - Freyer, Dorette
AU - Laube, Gregor
AU - Bührer, Christoph
AU - Felderhoff-Müser, Ursula
AU - Stadelmann, Christine
AU - Nizet, Victor
AU - Weber, Joerg R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 507) and the Transregio (SFB 43).
PY - 2011/2/1
Y1 - 2011/2/1
N2 - Background. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) are leading causes of bacterial meningitis in neonates and children. Each pathogen produces a pore-forming cytolytic toxin, b-hemolysin/cytolysin (β-h/c) by GBS and pneumolysin by SP. The aim of this study was to understand the role of these pore-forming cytotoxins, in particular of the GBS β-h/c, as potential neurotoxins in experimental neonatal meningitis. Methods. Meningitis was induced in 7- and 11-day-old rats by intracisternal injection of wild type (WT) GBS or SP and compared with isogenic β-h/c- or pneumolysin-deficient mutants, or a double mutant of SP deficient in pneumolysin and hydrogen peroxide production. Results. GBS β-h/c and SP pneumolysin contributed to neuronal damage, worsened clinical outcome and weight loss, but had no influence on the early kinetics of leukocyte influx and bacterial growth in the cerebrospinal fluid. In vitro, β-h/c-induced neuronal apoptosis occurred independently of caspase-activation and was not preventable by the broad spectrum caspase-inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. Conclusions. These data suggest that both cytolytic toxins, the GBS β-h/c and SP pneumolysin, contribute to neuronal damage in meningitis and extend the concept of a key role for bacterial pore-forming cytolysins in the pathogenesis and sequelae of neonatal meningitis.
AB - Background. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) are leading causes of bacterial meningitis in neonates and children. Each pathogen produces a pore-forming cytolytic toxin, b-hemolysin/cytolysin (β-h/c) by GBS and pneumolysin by SP. The aim of this study was to understand the role of these pore-forming cytotoxins, in particular of the GBS β-h/c, as potential neurotoxins in experimental neonatal meningitis. Methods. Meningitis was induced in 7- and 11-day-old rats by intracisternal injection of wild type (WT) GBS or SP and compared with isogenic β-h/c- or pneumolysin-deficient mutants, or a double mutant of SP deficient in pneumolysin and hydrogen peroxide production. Results. GBS β-h/c and SP pneumolysin contributed to neuronal damage, worsened clinical outcome and weight loss, but had no influence on the early kinetics of leukocyte influx and bacterial growth in the cerebrospinal fluid. In vitro, β-h/c-induced neuronal apoptosis occurred independently of caspase-activation and was not preventable by the broad spectrum caspase-inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. Conclusions. These data suggest that both cytolytic toxins, the GBS β-h/c and SP pneumolysin, contribute to neuronal damage in meningitis and extend the concept of a key role for bacterial pore-forming cytolysins in the pathogenesis and sequelae of neonatal meningitis.
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U2 - 10.1093/infdis/jiq047
DO - 10.1093/infdis/jiq047
M3 - Article
C2 - 21186256
AN - SCOPUS:79751480235
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 203
SP - 393
EP - 400
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 3
ER -