The effects of superoxide dismutase in gerbils with bacterial meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory products, such as oxygen radicals generated during the course of bacterial meningitis, can damage nerve endings, hair cells, and/or supporting cells in the cochlea. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), an O2-scavenger, has been shown to play an important role in the protection against radical toxicity in various animal experiments.

OBJECTIVE: To study the antioxidant effects of SOD on the inflammatory response of gerbils with bacterial meningitis.

STUDY DESIGN: Meningitis was induced in three groups of 10 gerbils by intrathecal (IT) injection of Streptococcus pneumoniae into the cisterna magna. Group 1 received IT SOD, group 2 received intramuscular (IM) SOD, and group 3, the control group, received IM normal saline. Histologic data and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were obtained from each gerbil.

RESULTS: Fibrosis and/or neo-ossification were near absent in the IT SOD group and significantly less fibrosis occurred in the IM group (IT vs. IM: P = 0.010; IT vs. control group: P = 0.001). The amount of surviving spiral ganglion cells correlated inversely with the extent of fibrosis (r = -0.753, P < 0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS: IT injection of SOD significantly reduced cochlear fibrosis and neo-ossification, reduced the spiral ganglion cell loss, and decreased damage of the cochlear components following bacterial meningitis.