FIG 7.

Levels of serotonin and dopamine in brains of mice following T. gondii infection. 5-HT and its turnover to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) (5-HIAA/5-HT ratio) as well as DA and its turnover to homovanillic acid (HVA) (HVA/DA ratio) were measured in brains of mice. (A) 5-HT and its turnover in wild-type BALB/c mice after injection with PBS or infection with T. gondii at 10 and 30 dpi. Data from two independent experiments are summarized and presented as means ± standard deviations [n = 5 plus 5; for 5-HT, F_{(1, 36)} = 2.538 and P = 0.1199; for the 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio, F_{(1, 36)} = 0.1521 and P = 0.6989]. (B) DA and its turnover in wild-type BALB/c mice after injection with PBS or infection with T. gondii at 10 and 30 dpi. Data from two independent experiments are summarized and presented as means ± standard deviations [n = 5 plus 5; for DA, F_{(1, 36)} = 5.27 and P = 0.0276; for the 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio, F_{(1, 36)} = 0.1521 and P = 0.6989]. Different letters above bars in graphs indicate statistically significant differences among the groups by two-way ANOVA plus Tukey-Kramer post hoc analysis.