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07:04
Modeling Age-Associated Neurodegenerative Diseases in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: August 15, 2020
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Age does not influence the disease course in a mouse model of
Anja Manig1,2, Sandra Ribes1, Catharina Diesselberg1
11Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
Immunity & Ageing : I & A
|September 12, 2018
Summary
Aging does not increase mortality in Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis. This pathogen-specific finding suggests age-related immune decline impacts bacterial central nervous system infections differently based on pathogen characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Bacterial central nervous system (CNS) infections pose a higher mortality risk in aged individuals.
- The specific mechanisms underlying this increased susceptibility in the elderly remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aging on the course of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis.
- To compare the outcomes of S. pneumoniae meningitis in aged versus young mice.
Main Methods:
- Aged and young mice were intracerebrally infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3.
- Mortality, weight loss, clinical symptoms, bacterial loads, and CNS leukocyte infiltration were monitored for 15 days.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in mortality rates were observed between aged (35%) and young (38%) mice.
- Key parameters including weight loss, clinical signs, bacterial concentrations, and CNS immune cell infiltration showed no age-related disparities.
Conclusions:
- The increased susceptibility of aged individuals to bacterial CNS infections is pathogen-specific.
- For pathogens like S. pneumoniae serotype 3, which are difficult to phagocytose due to their capsules, the age-related decline in immune cell function has a minimal impact on disease severity.
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