 The study found that systemic administration of LPS-induced astrocyte activation and increased immunoreactivity against microbial markers in mice, leading to a strong but transient increase in cytokine levels in the serum and brain. Additionally, LPS treatment caused sickness and mild depressive-like behavior, but it was not possible to separate sickness from depressive-like behavior in the present rodent model due to overlapping time course and mild effects on depression-related behavior per se. This article was offered by Stephen Beesman's, Theo F. Murt, Janne Boonecht and others.