Pharmacologic depletion of border-associated macrophages worsens disease in a mouse model of meningitis.

ABSTRACT: Pneumococcal infection of the leptomeninges triggers a strong inflammatory response, contributing to tissue damage and adverse outcome in meningitis. While border-associated macrophages (BAM) are thought to initiate immune responses against pathogens, their exact role in pneumococcal meningitis (PM) - especially at later stages - remains unclear. This study examined the impact of BAM depletion on disease progression. Mice received intracisternal injections of clodronate liposomes (CL) to deplete BAM, followed three days later by intracisternal infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. At 18 h post-infection, CL-treated mice exhibited clinical signs similar to controls treated with phosphate-buffered saline liposomes (PBSL). However, CL-treated mice had lower cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte co

SUBMITTER: Dyckhoff-Shen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12455799 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature