Fig. 5

Intraperitoneal injection of LPS after stroke causes similar pathology to those seen in mice receiving PSCI-associated gut microbiota. a Experimental design. After acclimatization for 1 week, mice were subjected to MCAO. Three days after MCAO, mNSS score was assessed, followed by intraperitoneal injection of PBS or LPS daily. After 1 month, Morris water maze was performed after which mice were sacrificed. b Results of the mNSS score and c–f Morris water maze between the two groups. g Morphology of the ileum was assessed using H&E staining (scale bar = 100 μm) and the average villus height and crypt depth was analyzed. h Expression of intestinal TLR-4 protein in the two groups. i Levels of LPS, LBP, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in the peripheral blood. j Expression of cerebral tight junction proteins Occludin and Claudin-4 in the two groups. k Nissl staining in the hippocampal CA1 region of the two group. l Double immunostaining for Iba-1 and m TUNEL staining in the hippocampal CA1 region, and n Aβ staining in the thalamus (scale bar = 50 μm). The cells were counted per 40× FOV. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 9–10 mice per group, Student’s t test, escape latency was compared by repeated-measure ANOVA, ns, not significant, *P < .05, **P < .01, ***P < .001, ****P < .0001