Brain creatine kinase activity after meningitis induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Bacterial meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with a significant mortality rate and persisting neurologic sequelae including sensory-motor deficits, seizures, and impairments of learning and memory. Creatine kinase (CK) is an effective buffering system of cellular ATP levels in high-energy consuming tissues; a decrease in CK activity is associated with a neurodegenerative pathway that results in neuronal loss. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate brain CK activity after pneumococcal meningitis. The animals underwent a magna cistern tap receiving either sterile saline as a placebo or an equivalent volume of a S. pneumoniae suspension; they were killed 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after that, the brain was removed and hippocampus, striatum, cerebellum, cerebral cortex and prefrontal cortex were dissected and used for the determination of CK activity. We verified that CK activity was not altered 6 and 12 h after meningitis. Interestingly, 24 h after the induction of the meningitis we observed a decrease in CK activity. Finally, CK activity was not altered 48 h after meningitis. Although it is difficult to extrapolate our findings to the human condition, the inhibition of brain CK activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal meningitis.