Sex- and region-specific differences in microglia phenotype and characterization of the peripheral immune response following early-life infection in neonatal male and female rats.

•Females have higher Iba-1 expression than males in the hippocampus and cerebellum.•Neonatal infection increases IL-6 expression in the neonatal female cerebellum.•Neonatal infection decreases BDNF expression in the neonatal male cerebellum.•Neonatal infection increases peripheral cytokines and chemokines in both sexes.