Fig. 3

LPS caused cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behaviors in rats. (A,B) The Morris Water Maze (MWM) test was used to evaluate cognitive impairment. The results showed that (A) the reduction in the escape latency time of rats in the LPS groups was not as great as in the Control group, and (B) the time spent in the target quadrant and platform crossover number in the LPS groups were decreased, suggesting LPS-induced cognitive impairment. (C) Representative swimming traces of rats during probe trials of MWM test. (D) The Open Field Test (OFT) was used to investigate effect of LPS on anxiety-like behaviors. The total distance, the frequency of rearing, the time spent in central zone, and the frequency of crossing were reduced in the rats treated with LPS, suggesting that LPS induced anxiety-like behavior. (E) The representative tracking images of rats in the OFT. Results are shown as means ± SEM (n = 6). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.