CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) aggravates inflammation and bacterial dissemination during pneumococcal meningitis.
J Neuroinflammation 2015;
12:88. [PMID:
25958220 PMCID:
PMC4430878 DOI:
10.1186/s12974-015-0309-5]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
The prognosis of bacterial meningitis largely depends on the severity of the inflammatory response. The transcription factor CAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) plays a key role in the regulation of the inflammatory response during bacterial infections. Consequently, we assessed the role of C/EBPδ during experimental meningitis.
Methods
Wild-type and C/EBPδ-deficient mice (C/EBPδ−/−) were intracisternally infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae and sacrificed after 6 or 30 h, or followed in a survival study.
Results
In comparison to wild-type mice, C/EBPδ−/− mice showed decreased bacterial loads at the primary site of infection and decreased bacterial dissemination to lung and spleen 30 h after inoculation. Expression levels of the inflammatory mediators IL-10 and KC were lower in C/EBPδ−/− brain homogenates, whereas IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and MIP-2 levels were not significantly different between the two genotypes. Moreover, C/EBPδ−/− mice demonstrated an attenuated systemic response as reflected by lower IL-10, IL-6, KC, and MIP-2 plasma levels. No differences in clinical symptoms or in survival were observed between wild-type and C/EBPδ−/− mice.
Conclusion
C/EBPδ in the brain drives the inflammatory response and contributes to bacterial dissemination during pneumococcal meningitis. C/EBPδ does, however, not affect clinical parameters of the disease and does not confer a survival benefit.
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