Fig. 2

Neurological function after LPS administration in saline- and BCG-treated rats. (A) Dose-response histograms depicting the incidence of paralysis and death in BCG-treated and control (saline-treated) rats. A single bolus of LPS was administered i.c.v. 2 weeks after the i.v. treatment with BCG or saline. The dose of LPS is indicated on the abscissa. Data represent percent of animals in clinical grades of 3 and 4, 24 hr after LPS administration (all animals that died were paralyzed before their demise). Asterisks indicate statistical significance between the treatment groups, cross denotes difference between LPS 30 and 300 µg/rat dose by 2-tailed Fisher-exact probability test; */ + p < 0.05, **p < 0.001. Number of animals was 7–9 in vehicle groups, in BCG groups it was 10, except for the LPS 300 µg/rat dose (n = 22). (B) Cumulative time-course of deteriation of neurologic function after the 300 µg/rat dose of LPS in saline- or BCG-treated rats. Asterisks denote difference between saline- and BCG-treated groups; **p < 0.01 (ANOVA followed by student’s t-test with Bonferoni correction). Panel C: Effect of TNFbp and IL-1ra on the incidence of LPS-induced paralysis and death in BCG-treated rats. A single bolus injection of LPS (300 µg/rat, i.c.v.) was administered 2 weeks after the BCG priming. The anticytokine treatments, both at a dose of 100 µg/10 µl, were administered i.c.v. 30 min before and 30 min after the injection of LPS (100 µg/rat, i.c.v.). The various treatment modalities are indicated on the abscissa. Data represent percent of animals in clinical grades of 3 and 4, 24 hr after LPS administration. Asterisks denote statistical significance between anticytokine-treated and vehicle-treated animals by 2-tailed Fisher exact probability test; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001. Number of animals in each drug treatment group was 8; in the vehicle-treated group it was 17.