Abstract.
The course of bacterial titers, meningeal inflammation, behavioral abnormalities, and neuronal damage was studied in a mouse model of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis. At 24 h after injection of 104 colony-forming units (CFU) S. pneumoniae into the right forebrain, infected mice became severely lethargic. Bacterial titers in cerebrospinal fluid and cerebellum rose to 109 CFU/ml, with strong granulocyte invasion into the meninges and neuronal necroses in the neocortex, striatum and hippocampal formation. Meningeal inflammation and neuronal damage in intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1- and macrophage colony-stimulating factor-deficient mice was similar to that in wild-type littermates. Untreated, the infection was fatal. Wild-type mice treated earlier than 24 h after infection with ceftriaxone (2 mg every 12 h for 3 days) survived without apparent behavioral abnormalities. Delay of treatment beyond 30 h led to the death of more than 50% of the infected mice. This mouse model is suitable for therapeutic studies and for the investigation of inflammation in knockout mice. The neuronal damage resembles morphological abnormalities observed in humans.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Revised, accepted: 10 October 2000
Electronic Publication
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gerber, .J., Raivich, .G., Wellmer, .A. et al. A mouse model of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis mimicking several features of human disease. Acta Neuropathol 101, 499–508 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010000326
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010000326