CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) aggravates inflammation and bacterial dissemination during pneumococcal meningitis

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-aα,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. © 2015 serón et al.; licensee biomed central.