BioMed Central, Journal of Neuroinflammation, 1(12), 2015
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-015-0309-5
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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.