Antibiotic therapy, endotoxin concentration in cerebrospinal fluid, and brain edema in experimental Escherichia coli meningitis in rabbits

Täuber, MG; Shibl, AM; Hackbarth, CJ; Larrick, JW; Sande, MA (1987). Antibiotic therapy, endotoxin concentration in cerebrospinal fluid, and brain edema in experimental Escherichia coli meningitis in rabbits. Journal of infectious diseases, 156(3), pp. 456-62. Cary, N.C.: Oxford University Press 10.1093/infdis/156.3.456

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We investigated the effect of cefotaxime and chloramphenicol on endotoxin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and on the development of brain edema in rabbits with Escherichia coli meningitis. Both antibiotics were similarly effective in reducing bacterial titers. Cefotaxime, but not chloramphenicol, induced a marked increase of endotoxin in CSF, from log10 1.5 +/- 0.8 to log10 2.8 +/- 0.7 ng/ml (P less than .01). This result was associated with an increase in brain water content (405 +/- 12 g of water/100 g of dry weight compared with 389 +/- 8 g in untreated controls; P less than .01), whereas in animals treated with chloramphenicol, brain water content was identical to controls. The cefotaxime-induced increase in endotoxin concentration and brain edema were both neutralized by polymyxin B, which binds to the lipid A moiety of endotoxin, or by a monoclonal antibody to lipid A. These results indicate that treating gram-negative bacillary meningitis with selected antibiotics induces increased endotoxin concentrations in CSF that are associated with brain edema.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases

UniBE Contributor:

Täuber, Martin G.

ISSN:

0022-1899

ISBN:

3302052

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 15:00

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:18

Publisher DOI:

10.1093/infdis/156.3.456

PubMed ID:

3302052

Web of Science ID:

A1987J601300006

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/25814 (FactScience: 61003)

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