Dynamic Changes Of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Expression In Mouse Brain Of Experimental Bacterial Meningitis

Objective: To explore biologic role of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) in bacterial meningitis ,and to investigate why mortality and neurologic deficits still occur following bacterial meningitis (BM) in childen with newer and more potent antibiotics. Mcthods:We used immunohistochemistry to study the expression of bFGF in the brain during the course of experimental meningitis and after antibiotic and antibiotic plus dexamethasone treatment in the mouse(n=90). We established the animal models by inoculating Streptococcus pneumoiae(SP) intracranially, and inoculating the same volume of normal saline suspension in uninfected control mouse. Results: bFGF expression was obviously up-regulated at 24h post-inoculation(p.i) (P< 0.01) ,then declined but was still greater than that in the brains of control mouse after inoculation for 48 h(P<0.05), finally, restored to normal level on 5 day. bFGF expression was down-regulated in the brain of mouse on 5 days by antibiotic treatment for 3 days (P<0.01) ,but up-regulated after treatment with an antibiotic plus dexamethasone (P<0.01) . bFGF was observed in some infiltrating inflammatory cells in the brain of infected mouse.