Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced inhibition of rat ependymal cilia is attenuated by antipneumolysin antibody

Ciliated ependymal cells line the ventricular surfaces and aqueducts of the brain. In ex vivo experiments, pneumolysin caused rapid inhibition of the ependymal ciliary beat frequency and caused ependymal cell disruption. Wild-type pneumococci and pneumococci deficient in pneumolysin caused ciliary slowing, but penicillin lysis of wild-type, not pneumolysin-deficient, pneumococci increased the extent of ciliary inhibition. This effect was abolished by antipneumolysin antibody. Ependymal ciliary stasis by purified pneumolysin was also blocked by the addition of antipneumolysin monoclonal antibodies. These data show that antibiotic lysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae can be detrimental to the ciliated ependyma and that antipneumolysin antibody may have a therapeutic potential.