Fig. 5

GBS-Survivors mice present behavioural sequelae and altered glutamatergic and dopaminergic function, in adulthood. Pregnant BALB/c mice were intra-vaginally inoculated with 3 × 10⁴ CFU of GBS BM110 WT or with PBS (uninfected) at gestational days 17 and 18. Offspring that survived to infection (BM110 WT-survivors) and mice born from non GBS-colonised mothers (uninfected) were examined at PND90 for their capacity to execute tasks in the radial arm maze (a–d) and tested in an open field (OF) test (e–i). a–d Latency (a), total number of arms entries (b), working memory errors (c) and reference memory errors (d) in the radial arm maze test. e-i Total distance travelled in centimetres (e). Frequency (f) and time spent in the periphery and centre of OF apparatus (g). Frequency (h) and time of exploratory behaviour (i). Data are presented as means ± SEM, or individually (n = 6 for uninfected and BM110 WT-survivors). Comparisons by two-way ANOVA, with repeated measures for block sessions or unpaired Student’s t-test for the other evaluations. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. i-m Levels of Glutamate in the hippocampus (j) and thalamus (m), and DA and metabolites (DOPAC and HVA) in the hippocampus (k) and striatum (l) of offsprings that survived to neonatal GBS infection (BM110 WT-survivors) or born from non GBS-colonised mothers (uninfected), were determined by HPLC-EC at PND90. HVA levels in the hippocampus were below the detection limit. Relative levels are shown and normalised to total protein content. Each dot represents data from a single animal (mean, n = 6 for uninfected and BM110 WT-survivors). Comparison by unpaired Student’s t-test. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001