Fig. 3

LIP-mix aggravates MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal loss. A Schematic illustration of the experimental procedure. B Bar plots of performance in behavioral tests, including rotarod test and traction test. Mix: V. parvula and S. mutans mixture. LIP-mix: ligature-induced periodontitis and oral infection of V. parvula and S. mutans mixture. n = 10:10:10:10. C-D Representative immunohistochemical staining (C) and quantification (D) of TH-positive fibers in ST. n = 5:5:5:5. E–F Representative immunohistochemical staining (E) and quantification (F) of TH-positive neurons in SN. n = 5:5:5:5. Scale bar: 200 μm. G Western blotting analysis of TH in ST. n = 5:5:5:5. Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test was used for statistical analysis. ns, not significant. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01