Fig. 3: Acute effects of the PA insult in males. | Neuropsychopharmacology

Fig. 3: Acute effects of the PA insult in males.

From: Inflammatory mechanisms contribute to long-term cognitive deficits induced by perinatal asphyxia via interleukin-1

Fig. 3

A–C Characterisation of the acute post-PA period, focusing on neuromotor functioning, stress hormone levels and regional microglial morphological changes (Exp. 2). No significant alterations in gross neuromotor functioning and the frequency of USV vocalisation were observed 24 h after PA. D–F PA leads to an acute burst of peripheral stress-related hormone levels in the immediate post-PA period. ACTH: treatment F(1, 48) = 19.26, p < 0.001; sampling time F(1, 48) = 16.6, p < 0.001; treatment × sampling time interaction F(3, 48) = 17.12, p < 0.001; Duncan’s post-hoc test for 0 h p < 0.001; corticosterone: treatment F(1, 48) = 2.714, p = 0.105; sampling time F(1, 48) = 2.151, p = 0.106; treatment × sampling time interaction F(3, 48) = 3.111, p = 0.034; Duncan’s post-hoc test for 1 h p = 0.006; aldosterone: treatment F(1, 35) = 10.815, p = 0.002; sampling time F(1, 35) = 3.643, p = 0.021; treatment × sampling time interaction F(1, 35) = 5.561, p = 0.003; Duncan’s post-hoc test for 1 h p < 0.001. G Representative confocal microscopy images of Iba1-positive microglia in the IL show markedly decreased microglia branch count (H; U = 62163, p < 0.001), ramification index (J; calculated from the ratio of max intersections and the number of primary branches; U = 68015, p = 0.068) and branch density (K; U = 63589, p < 0.001), and a tendency for increased soma size (I; U = 67747, p = 0.065). Data shown represent microglial cells across experimental groups with median and quartile. L Representative images of T1-weighted dextran-coated iron oxide contrast MRI (top) and 99mTC-HMPAO SPECT (bottom) neuroimaging (P = PFC, T = Thalamus, C = Cerebellum) demonstrate regional cerebral blood flow and perfusion changes. The colour scale corresponds to the relative intensity of radiotracer accumulation, with warmer colours indicating higher, while cooler colours indicating lower uptake. M SPECT imaging shows strong tendencies in the prefrontal cortex compared to the brainstem of PA animals (U = 2, p = 0.063). Error bars represent mean ± SEM; ***p < 0.001; *p < 0.05; #p < 0.07.

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