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Published on: November 19, 2012
Urinary Tract Infection Exaggerates Cognitive Deficits and Region-Specific Neuroinflammation Following Traumatic
Zachary Zimomra1,2,3, Christina Lepak1,2,4, Rebecca Boland1,2,3
1Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Journal of Neurotrauma
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Urinary tract infection (UTI) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) worsens cognitive deficits and alters neuroinflammation. This study reveals that post-TBI bladder infection negatively impacts brain injury outcomes, highlighting a critical link between infections and neurological health.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases susceptibility to infections like urinary tract infections (UTIs).
- UTIs, often caused by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), are common and can affect vulnerable populations.
- The neuroimmune and cognitive consequences of UTIs following TBI are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biological effects of bladder infection subsequent to TBI in a pre-clinical model.
- To determine if UTI exacerbates long-term outcomes after TBI.
- To explore the neuroimmune responses and cognitive changes associated with combined TBI and UTI.
Main Methods:
- Female mice underwent either sham injury or lateral fluid percussion TBI.
- Three days post-injury, mice were inoculated with vehicle or UPEC to induce UTI.
- Behavioral tests (Y-maze, open-field), flow cytometry, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess outcomes.
Main Results:
- TBI induced spatial memory deficits, which were significantly worsened by subsequent UTI.
- TBI elevated plasma IL-6, but UTI following TBI appeared to dampen this systemic inflammatory marker.
- TBI increased microglial reactivity and monocyte infiltration in the brain, with UTI further modulating microglial activation markers (CD68) in a region-specific manner.
Conclusions:
- UTI following TBI is detrimental to overall outcome, exacerbating cognitive impairments.
- Post-injury UTI alters the neuroimmune landscape in the brain, independent of systemic inflammation.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the signaling pathways connecting bladder infection and neuroinflammation after TBI.
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