Protective effect of a 21-aminosteroid during experimental pneumococcal meningitis.

This study investigated whether the 21-aminosteroid U74389F, an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, attenuates pathophysiologic changes in experimental pneumococcal meningitis. Infected rats injected intravenously with vehicle of [corrected] U74389F developed increases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), intracranial pressure (ICP), brain water content, and white blood cells (WBC) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within 8 h after intracisternal challenge. Pretreatment with or administration of U74389F 4 h after infection significantly reduced the increase in ICP but had no effect on rCBF increase. Moreover, U74389F pretreatment significantly reduced brain water content and CSF WBC count. In vitro, U74389F inhibited iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of astrocyte cultures and the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and nitric oxide by stimulated macrophages. These data suggest that U74389F modulates early pathophysiologic alterations in experimental pneumococcal meningitis.