Experimental rabbit model of meningitis produced by Haemophilus influenzae serotype c.

The virulence of Haemophilus influenzae type c when inoculated intracisternally (i.c.) into rabbits was evaluated.

Inhibition of complement-factor-5a-induced inflammatory reactions by prostaglandin E2 in experimental meningitis.

The possible role of complement factor 5a (C5a) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis and protein accumulation was assessed in a rabbit model of meningitis. Intracisternally administered C5a caused a rapid, early influx of leukocytes into CSF that peaked at 1 h after injection; by 6 h, cell counts were slightly higher than those in controls. Administration of PGE2 or saline did not induce detectable CSF leukocytosis.

Cerebrospinal fluid protein profile in experimental pneumococcal meningitis and its alteration by ampicillin and anti-inflammatory agents.

We studied the effects of ampicillin and anti-inflammatory agents on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein patterns in rabbits with meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. CSF proteins were analyzed in the acute phase of infection and during convalescence by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by two types of staining or by immunoblotting. During the acute phase a massive influx of serum albumin into the CSF was accompanied by the appearance of other proteins of high and low molecular weight.

Influence of cephalosporins and iron on surface protein antigens of Klebsiella pneumoniae in vivo.

The outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles of Klebsiella pneumoniae grown in a rabbit peritonitis model in the presence or absence of cephalosporins were investigated. Six high-molecular-weight OMPs (Mr 69,000 to 83,000) were induced under iron-depleted conditions in vitro. Three of these proteins (the 69,000-Mr protein [69K protein] and the 70K and 78K proteins) and trace amounts of the 73K and 75K proteins were induced in the OM of bacteria infecting the peritoneal cavity of rabbits.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in the therapy for experimental pneumococcal meningitis.

An increased inflammatory mass in the subarachnoid space during bacterial meningitis may correlate with a poor outcome of disease. Using a rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis, we sought to reduce this inflammatory process. The ability of the pneumococcal cell wall to cause death and to generate leukocytosis and abnormal chemistry in cerebrospinal fluid was prevented when animals were treated with inhibitors of cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonate metabolism.