Ten days after meningitis induction, the levels of both the cellular markers, caspase-3 and caspase-9, were increased (P < 0.05) in the hippocampus with no significant changes in the 24-h group except caspase-3 which was increased significantly (P < 0.05) in meningitis group hippocampus (Fig. 11). Here, CASP3 is linked to meningitis.