Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: UMLS:C0085437 (
bacterial meningitis
)
4,038
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Pneumococcus is the most common and aggressive cause of
bacterial meningitis
and induces a novel apoptosis-inducing factor-dependent (AIF-dependent) form of brain cell apoptosis. Loss of production of two pneumococcal toxins, pneumolysin and H(2)O(2), eliminated mitochondrial damage and apoptosis. Purified pneumolysin or H(2)O(2) induced microglial and neuronal apoptosis in vitro. Both toxins induced increases of intracellular Ca(2+) and triggered the release of
AIF
from mitochondria. Chelating Ca(2+) effectively blocked
AIF
release and cell death. In experimental pneumococcal meningitis, pneumolysin colocalized with apoptotic neurons of the hippocampus, and infection with pneumococci unable to produce pneumolysin and H(2)O(2) significantly reduced damage. Two bacterial toxins, pneumolysin and, to a lesser extent, H(2)O(2), induce apoptosis by translocation of
AIF
, suggesting new neuroprotective strategies for pneumococcal meningitis.
...
PMID:Pneumococcal pneumolysin and H(2)O(2) mediate brain cell apoptosis during meningitis. 1178 47
