Figure 4.

(A) Effect of antibiotic treatment on medical condition of mice after stroke The Mice General Health Score (MGHS) as a marker for the general medical condition of mice was measured daily during the observation period. Mice treated in a preventive manner recovered faster compared with the standard and placebo group. Both, preventive and standard treatment had a better long-term outcome compared with placebo-treated mice. (Kruskall–Wallis test *P>0.05; Dunn's post-hoc P<0.05 between § preventive vs. standard; ° preventive vs. placebo; # standard vs. placebo). (B) Time until mice reached the diagnostic criterion in MGHS. Animals that died before day 2 (direct effect of stroke, e.g., brain edema) and mice that did not reach the diagnostic criterion are censored. Most mice showed onset of symptoms around day 3. (C) Effect of antibiotic treatment on poststroke body weight in mice. Preventive but not standard antibiotic treatment accelerates regain of body weight after stroke, compared with placebo treatment, with a statistically significant difference at the last 4 days of the observation period (day 10 to 13, Kruskall–Wallis test *P<0.05).