DIFFUSE ASTROCYTIC SWELLING AND INCREASED 2ND MESSENGER ACTIVITY FOLLOWING ACUTE HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE MENINGITIS - EVIDENCE FROM A RAT MODEL

Despite numerous epidemiological analyses of bacterial meningitis ther e is very little pathological data concerning the acute glial and neur onal responses to the disease. We have developed a safe, easily used r at model for Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis. We measured cer ebral blood flow, glucose utilisation and second messenger activity in this model, and carried out parallel light and ultrastructural analys is of glial and neuronal responses. Only protein kinase C activity was changed from control values. We obtained evidence for massive astrocy tic swelling and neuronal degeneration. We posit that cytotoxic mechan isms may contribute to the pathology of meningitis.