FIG 6.

HSV-1 ferroptosis-activated upregulation of PTGS2 and PGE₂ contributes to viral encephalitis. (A) Groups of 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice (n = 6 for each group) were i.p. injected with IND (10 mg/kg) or the vehicle (DMSO) 24 h before challenge with 1 × 10⁵ PFU of HSV-1 or mock infected, followed by treatment once a day for 5 days. Mice were euthanized at 5 dpi, and brains were extracted. (B and C) The levels of PTGS2 and PGE₂ in serum were determined by ELISAs. (D to J) Total RNAs were extracted from the brains of mice from different groups and subjected to qRT-PCR to determine the expression levels of the indicated proinflammatory genes, and the relative mRNA level of each indicated gene in uninfected mice treated with the vehicle was defined as 1-fold. Data represent means ± SD. **, P < 0.01 (as measured by two-way ANOVA).