FIG 3.

Infection downregulates dopamine β-hydroxylase gene expression in the brain. (A) DBH gene expression in the brains of uninfected (gray) and chronically infected (black) male rats plotted relative to GAPDH (P = 0.0023; n = 4 uninfected and 5 infected animals). (B) Brain region-specific DBH gene expression in uninfected and infected rats in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (P = 0.0034), midbrain, and pons/locus coeruleus (LC) (P = 0.012). Error bars are ±SEM. n = 4 uninfected and infected animals. (C) Plot showing expression of the neuronal MAP2 gene (as a percentage of GAPDH) in uninfected (gray) and chronically infected (black) brains for the animals shown in panel A (P = 0.57).