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Caioni G, Merola C, Perugini M, Angelozzi G, Amorena M, Benedetti E, Lucon-Xiccato T, Bertolucci C. Sodium valproate effects on the morphological and neurobehavioral phenotype of zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 110:104500. [PMID: 38977114 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2024.104500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The anticonvulsant sodium valproate (SV) is frequently administered as a medicament but bears several negative effects in case of exposure during development. We analyzed extensively these early development effects of using the zebrafish model. Zebrafish embryos were exposed as eggs to two sublethal concentrations of SV, 10 and 25 mg/L. A general embryo toxicity analysis revealed extended anomalies in the cardiovascular system, and in the craniofacial and the spinal skeleton, as well as high mortality, in the embryos exposed to SV. The teratogenic potential of SV was confirmed in hacthed larvae by morphometric and cartilage profile analysis. Last, neurobehavioral impairments due to SV were highlighted in subjects' activity, anxiety, response to stimulations, habituation learning, and daily synchronization of locomotor activity, overall mirroring typical phenotypes associated with autistic spectrum disorders. In conclusion, our results confirmed the presence of extended and multifaced impacts of exposure to SV during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Caioni
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila 67100, Italy; Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy
| | - Carmine Merola
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy
| | - Monia Perugini
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Angelozzi
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy
| | - Michele Amorena
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Benedetti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila 67100, Italy
| | - Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Hussein MH, Alameen AA, Ansari MA, AlSharari SD, Ahmad SF, Attia MSM, Sarawi WS, Nadeem A, Bakheet SA, Attia SM. Semaglutide ameliorated autism-like behaviors and DNA repair efficiency in male BTBR mice by recovering DNA repair gene expression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 135:111091. [PMID: 39032854 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is marked by impaired social interactions, and increased repetitive behaviors. There is evidence of genetic changes in ASD, and several of these altered genes are linked to the process of DNA repair. Therefore, individuals with ASD must have improved DNA repair efficiency to mitigate risks associated with ASD. Despite numerous milestones in ASD research, the disease remains incurable, with a high occurrence rate and substantial financial burdens. This motivates scientists to search for new drugs to manage the disease. Disruption of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signaling, a regulator in neuronal development and maintains homeostasis, has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of several neurological disorders, such as ASD. Our study aimed to assess the impact of semaglutide, a new GLP-1 analog antidiabetic medication, on behavioral phenotypes and DNA repair efficiency in the BTBR autistic mouse model. Furthermore, we elucidated the underlying mechanism(s) responsible for the ameliorative effects of semaglutide against behavioral problems and DNA repair deficiency in BTBR mice. The current results demonstrate that repeated treatment with semaglutide efficiently decreased autism-like behaviors in BTBR mice without affecting motor performance. Semaglutide also mitigated spontaneous DNA damage and enhanced DNA repair efficiency in the BTBR mice as determined by comet assay. Moreover, administering semaglutide recovered oxidant-antioxidant balance in BTBR mice. Semaglutide restored the disrupted DNA damage/repair pathways in the BTBR mice by reducing Gadd45a expression and increasing Ogg1 and Xrcc1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. This suggests that semaglutide holds great potential as a novel therapeutic candidate for treating ASD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa H Hussein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa A Alameen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mushtaq A Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shakir D AlSharari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sheikh F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed S M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wedad S Sarawi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabry M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Morel C, Paoli J, Camonin C, Marchal N, Grova N, Schroeder H. Comparison of predictive validity of two autism spectrum disorder rat models: Behavioural investigations. Neurotoxicology 2024; 103:39-49. [PMID: 38761921 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
The valproic acid model has been shown to reproduce ASD-like behaviours observed in patients and is now widely validated for construct, face, and predictivity as ASD model in rat. The literature agrees on using a single exposition to 500 mg/kg of VPA at gestational day 12 to induce ASD phenotype with the intraperitoneal route being the most commonly used. However, some studies validated this model with repeated exposure by using oral route. The way of administration may be of great importance in the induction of the ASD phenotype and a comparison is greatly required. We compared two ASD models, one induced by a unique IP injection of 500 mg/kg of body weight at GD12 and the other one by repeated PO administration of 500 mg/kg of body weight/day between GD11 and GD13. The behavioural phenotypes of the offspring were assessed for the core signs of ASD (impaired social behaviour, stereotypical/repetitive behaviours, sensory/communication deficits) as well as anxiety as comorbidity, at developmental and juvenile stages in both sexes. The VPA IP model induced a more literature-compliant ASD phenotype than the PO one. These results confirmed that the mode of administration as well as the window of VPA exposure are key factors in the ASD-induction phenotype. Interestingly, the effects of VPA administration were similar at the developmental stage between both sexes and then tended to differ later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Morel
- Calbinotox, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, B.P. 70239, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54506, France; UMR Inserm 1256 nGERE, Nutrition-Génétique et exposition aux risques environnementaux, Institute of Medical Research (Pôle BMS) - University of Lorraine, B.P. 184, Nancy 54511, France
| | - J Paoli
- Calbinotox, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, B.P. 70239, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54506, France; UMR Inserm 1256 nGERE, Nutrition-Génétique et exposition aux risques environnementaux, Institute of Medical Research (Pôle BMS) - University of Lorraine, B.P. 184, Nancy 54511, France
| | - C Camonin
- Calbinotox, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, B.P. 70239, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54506, France
| | - N Marchal
- UMR Inserm 1256 nGERE, Nutrition-Génétique et exposition aux risques environnementaux, Institute of Medical Research (Pôle BMS) - University of Lorraine, B.P. 184, Nancy 54511, France
| | - N Grova
- Calbinotox, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, B.P. 70239, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54506, France; UMR Inserm 1256 nGERE, Nutrition-Génétique et exposition aux risques environnementaux, Institute of Medical Research (Pôle BMS) - University of Lorraine, B.P. 184, Nancy 54511, France; Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity-Luxembourg Institute of Health, 29 rue Henri Koch, Esch-Sur-Alzette L-4354, Luxembourg.
| | - H Schroeder
- Calbinotox, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, B.P. 70239, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy 54506, France
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Jackson BL, Shafique S, Natale BV, Natale DRC, Winn LM. Investigating the effects of valproic acid on placental epigenetic modifications and development in the CD-1 mouse model. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 124:108551. [PMID: 38280688 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Gestational exposure to the anticonvulsant drug valproic acid (VPA) is associated with congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental disorders through its action as a histone deacetylase inhibitor. VPA can elicit placental toxicity and affect placental growth and development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal exposure to VPA on the mouse placenta following exposure on gestational day (GD) 13 since previous studies have shown that mice exposed at this time during gestation give birth to offspring with an autism spectrum disorder-like phenotype. We exposed CD-1 dams to a teratogenic dose (600 mg/kg) of VPA or saline on GD13 and assessed fetoplacental growth and development on GD18. We evaluated epigenetic modifications, including acetylated histone H4 (H4ac), methylated H3K4 (H3K4me2) using immunohistochemistry, and global DNA methylation in the placenta at 1, 3, and 24 h following maternal exposure on GD13. In utero exposure to VPA on GD13 significantly decreased placental weight and increased fetal resorptions. Moreover, VPA significantly increased the staining intensity of histone H4 acetylation and H3K4 di-methylation across the placenta at 1 and 3 h post maternal dose. Our results also demonstrate that VPA significantly decreased global DNA methylation levels in placental tissue. These results show that gestational exposure to VPA interferes with placental growth and elicits epigenetic modifications, which may play a vital role in VPA-induced developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna L Jackson
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sidra Shafique
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Bryony V Natale
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - David R C Natale
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Louise M Winn
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
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Alhamami HN, Albogami AM, Algahtani MM, Alqinyah M, Alanazi WA, Alasmari F, Alhazzani K, Alanazi AZ, Alassmrry YA, Alhamed AS. The effect of inhibiting hindbrain A2 noradrenergic neurons by 6-Hydroxydopamine on lipopolysaccharide-treated male rats autistic animal model. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:101964. [PMID: 38328791 PMCID: PMC10848015 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.101964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental illness that often emerges in early childhood. The incidence of ASD has shown a notable rise in recent years. ASD is defined by deficits in social communication, and presence of rigid and repetitive behaviors and interests. The underlying mechanisms of ASD remain elusive. Multiple studies have documented the presence of neuroinflammation and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, specifically, IL-6, TNF, and NF-κB, in various brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus in individuals with ASD. Noradrenergic neurons play a crucial role in brain development and the regulation of motor, behavioral, and memory functions. This study sought to examine the impact of intracerebroventricular (icv.) injection of the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), in the caudal dorsal vagal complex A2 neurons on various neuroinflammatory pathways at the hippocampus and PFC in valproic acid (VPA) autistic animal model. This was done in conjunction with an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in animal models with VPA-induced autism. We specifically examined the impact of the caudal fourth ventricle 6-OHDA icv. injection and LPS (i.p.) injection on self-grooming behavior. We measured the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-a, and NF-κB using qRT-PCR, and the protein expression of COX-2, GPX-1, p-AMPK, and AMPK using western blot analysis. The self-grooming activity was considerably higher in the combined treatment group (6-OHDA icv. + LPS i.p.) compared to the control group. A substantial increase observed in the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κB genes in the PFC of the treatment group that received icv. Administration of 6-OHDA, compared to the control group. The VPA-autism rats that received the combo treatment exhibited a slight increase in the expression level of NF-κB gene in the hippocampus, compared to the control group. At the PFC, we noticed a substantial drop in the expression of the antioxidant protein GPX-1 in the group that received the combo treatment compared to the control group. Our data investigates a novel aspect that the 6-OHDA-induced inhibition of hindbrain A2 neurons could be influencing the neuroinflammatory pathways in the PFC and hippocampus of autistic animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain N. Alhamami
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M. Albogami
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad M. Algahtani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alqinyah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wael A. Alanazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fawaz Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Alhazzani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Z. Alanazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yasseen A. Alassmrry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah S. Alhamed
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Zarate-Lopez D, Torres-Chávez AL, Gálvez-Contreras AY, Gonzalez-Perez O. Three Decades of Valproate: A Current Model for Studying Autism Spectrum Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:260-289. [PMID: 37873949 PMCID: PMC10788883 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666231003121513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with increased prevalence and incidence in recent decades. Its etiology remains largely unclear, but it seems to involve a strong genetic component and environmental factors that, in turn, induce epigenetic changes during embryonic and postnatal brain development. In recent decades, clinical studies have shown that inutero exposure to valproic acid (VPA), a commonly prescribed antiepileptic drug, is an environmental factor associated with an increased risk of ASD. Subsequently, prenatal VPA exposure in rodents has been established as a reliable translational model to study the pathophysiology of ASD, which has helped demonstrate neurobiological changes in rodents, non-human primates, and brain organoids from human pluripotent stem cells. This evidence supports the notion that prenatal VPA exposure is a valid and current model to replicate an idiopathic ASD-like disorder in experimental animals. This review summarizes and describes the current features reported with this animal model of autism and the main neurobiological findings and correlates that help elucidate the pathophysiology of ASD. Finally, we discuss the general framework of the VPA model in comparison to other environmental and genetic ASD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Zarate-Lopez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima 28040, México
- Physiological Science Ph.D. Program, School of Medicine, University of Colima, Colima 28040, Mexico
| | - Ana Laura Torres-Chávez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima 28040, México
- Physiological Science Ph.D. Program, School of Medicine, University of Colima, Colima 28040, Mexico
| | - Alma Yadira Gálvez-Contreras
- Department of Neuroscience, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, México
| | - Oscar Gonzalez-Perez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima 28040, México
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Anshu K, Nair AK, Srinath S, Laxmi TR. Altered Developmental Trajectory in Male and Female Rats in a Prenatal Valproic Acid Exposure Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4390-4411. [PMID: 35976506 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05684-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Early motor and sensory developmental delays precede Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and may serve as early indicators of ASD. The literature on sensorimotor development in animal models is sparse, male centered, and has mixed findings. We characterized early development in a prenatal valproic acid (VPA) model of ASD and found sex-specific developmental delays in VPA rats. We created a developmental composite score combining 15 test readouts, yielding a reliable gestalt measure spanning physical, sensory, and motor development, that effectively discriminated between VPA and control groups. Considering the heterogeneity in ASD phenotype, the developmental composite offers a robust metric that can enable comparison across different animal models of ASD and can serve as an outcome measure for early intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Anshu
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53705, WI, USA
| | - Ajay Kumar Nair
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53703, WI, USA
| | - Shoba Srinath
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - T Rao Laxmi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India.
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Briguglio S, Cambria C, Albizzati E, Marcello E, Provenzano G, Frasca A, Antonucci F. New Views of the DNA Repair Protein Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated in Central Neurons: Contribution in Synaptic Dysfunctions of Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Cells 2023; 12:2181. [PMID: 37681912 PMCID: PMC10486624 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) is a serine/threonine protein kinase principally known to orchestrate DNA repair processes upon DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Mutations in the Atm gene lead to Ataxia-Telangiectasia (AT), a recessive disorder characterized by ataxic movements consequent to cerebellar atrophy or dysfunction, along with immune alterations, genomic instability, and predisposition to cancer. AT patients show variable phenotypes ranging from neurologic abnormalities and cognitive impairments to more recently described neuropsychiatric features pointing to symptoms hardly ascribable to the canonical functions of ATM in DNA damage response (DDR). Indeed, evidence suggests that cognitive abilities rely on the proper functioning of DSB machinery and specific synaptic changes in central neurons of ATM-deficient mice unveiled unexpected roles of ATM at the synapse. Thus, in the present review, upon a brief recall of DNA damage responses, we focus our attention on the role of ATM in neuronal physiology and pathology and we discuss recent findings showing structural and functional changes in hippocampal and cortical synapses of AT mouse models. Collectively, a deeper knowledge of ATM-dependent mechanisms in neurons is necessary not only for a better comprehension of AT neurological phenotypes, but also for a higher understanding of the pathological mechanisms in neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders involving ATM dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Briguglio
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, Via F.lli Cervi 93, 20129 Segrate (MI) and via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, MI, Italy; (S.B.); (C.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Clara Cambria
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, Via F.lli Cervi 93, 20129 Segrate (MI) and via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, MI, Italy; (S.B.); (C.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Elena Albizzati
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA;
| | - Elena Marcello
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Giuseppe Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, MI, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology—CIBIO, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38068 Trento, TN, Italy;
| | - Angelisa Frasca
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, Via F.lli Cervi 93, 20129 Segrate (MI) and via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, MI, Italy; (S.B.); (C.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Flavia Antonucci
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milan, Via F.lli Cervi 93, 20129 Segrate (MI) and via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, MI, Italy; (S.B.); (C.C.); (A.F.)
- Institute of Neuroscience, IN-CNR, Via Raoul Follereau 3, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, MB, Italy
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Gevezova M, Sbirkov Y, Sarafian V, Plaimas K, Suratanee A, Maes M. Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) - Gene, molecular and pathway signatures linking systemic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, transsynaptic signalling, and neurodevelopment. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100646. [PMID: 37334258 PMCID: PMC10275703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite advances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research and the vast genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data available, there are still controversies regarding the pathways and molecular signatures underlying the neurodevelopmental disorders leading to ASD. Purpose To delineate these underpinning signatures, we examined the two largest gene expression meta-analysis datasets obtained from the brain and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 1355 ASD patients and 1110 controls. Methods We performed network, enrichment, and annotation analyses using the differentially expressed genes, transcripts, and proteins identified in ASD patients. Results Transcription factor network analyses in up- and down-regulated genes in brain tissue and PBMCs in ASD showed eight main transcription factors, namely: BCL3, CEBPB, IRF1, IRF8, KAT2A, NELFE, RELA, and TRIM28. The upregulated gene networks in PBMCs of ASD patients are strongly associated with activated immune-inflammatory pathways, including interferon-α signaling, and cellular responses to DNA repair. Enrichment analyses of the upregulated CNS gene networks indicate involvement of immune-inflammatory pathways, cytokine production, Toll-Like Receptor signalling, with a major involvement of the PI3K-Akt pathway. Analyses of the downregulated CNS genes suggest electron transport chain dysfunctions at multiple levels. Network topological analyses revealed that the consequent aberrations in axonogenesis, neurogenesis, synaptic transmission, and regulation of transsynaptic signalling affect neurodevelopment with subsequent impairments in social behaviours and neurocognition. The results suggest a defense response against viral infection. Conclusions Peripheral activation of immune-inflammatory pathways, most likely induced by viral infections, may result in CNS neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to abnormalities in transsynaptic transmission, and brain neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gevezova
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Yordan Sbirkov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Victoria Sarafian
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Kitiporn Plaimas
- Advanced Virtual and Intelligent Computing (AVIC) Center, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Apichat Suratanee
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, 10800, Thailand
| | - Michael Maes
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, South Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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10
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Maternal Immune Activation Induced by Prenatal Lipopolysaccharide Exposure Leads to Long-Lasting Autistic-like Social, Cognitive and Immune Alterations in Male Wistar Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043920. [PMID: 36835329 PMCID: PMC9968168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have supported the association between maternal immune activation (MIA) caused by exposure to pathogens or inflammation during critical periods of gestation and an increased susceptibility to the development of various psychiatric and neurological disorders, including autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), in the offspring. In the present work, we aimed to provide extensive characterization of the short- and long-term consequences of MIA in the offspring, both at the behavioral and immunological level. To this end, we exposed Wistar rat dams to Lipopolysaccharide and tested the infant, adolescent and adult offspring across several behavioral domains relevant to human psychopathological traits. Furthermore, we also measured plasmatic inflammatory markers both at adolescence and adulthood. Our results support the hypothesis of a deleterious impact of MIA on the neurobehavioral development of the offspring: we found deficits in the communicative, social and cognitive domains, together with stereotypic-like behaviors and an altered inflammatory profile at the systemic level. Although the precise mechanisms underlying the role of neuroinflammatory states in neurodevelopment need to be clarified, this study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of MIA on the risk of developing behavioral deficits and psychiatric illness in the offspring.
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Fu P, Luo S, Liu Z, Furuhara K, Tsuji T, Higashida H, Yokoyama S, Zhong J, Tsuji C. Oral Supplementation with Maca Improves Social Recognition Deficits in the Valproic Acid Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020316. [PMID: 36831858 PMCID: PMC9954495 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a congenital, lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder whose main symptom is impaired social communication and interaction. However, no drug can treat social deficits in patients with ASD, and treatments to alleviate social behavioral deficits are sorely needed. Here, we examined the effect of oral supplementation of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on social deficits of in utero-exposed valproic acid (VPA) mice, widely used as an ASD model. Although maca is widely consumed as a fertility enhancer and aphrodisiac, it possesses multiple beneficial activities. Additionally, it benefits learning and memory in experimental animal models. Therefore, the effect of maca supplementation on the social behavioral deficit of VPA mice was assessed using a social interaction test, a three-stage open field test, and a five-trial social memory test. The oral supplementation of maca attenuated social interaction behavior deficit and social memory impairment. The number of c-Fos-positive cells and the percentage of c-Fos-positive oxytocin neurons increased in supraoptic and paraventricular neurons of maca-treated VPA mice. These results reveal for the first time that maca is beneficial to social memory and that it restores social recognition impairments by augmenting the oxytocinergic neuronal pathways, which play an essential role in diverse social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinyue Fu
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Division of Socio-Cognitive-Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Shuxin Luo
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Physiological Department, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, China
| | - Zhongyu Liu
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Physiological Department, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, China
| | - Kazumi Furuhara
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsuji
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
- Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Shigeru Yokoyama
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Division of Socio-Cognitive-Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Jing Zhong
- Physiological Department, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, China
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); or (C.T.); Tel.: +81-(0)-76-265-2458 (C.T.)
| | - Chiharu Tsuji
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Correspondence: (J.Z.); or (C.T.); Tel.: +81-(0)-76-265-2458 (C.T.)
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Wang L, Wang B, Wu C, Wang J, Sun M. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Neurodevelopmental Risk Factors, Biological Mechanism, and Precision Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031819. [PMID: 36768153 PMCID: PMC9915249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has progressively increased, however, no clear diagnostic markers and specifically targeted medications for autism have emerged. As a result, neurobehavioral abnormalities, neurobiological alterations in ASD, and the development of novel ASD pharmacological therapy necessitate multidisciplinary collaboration. In this review, we discuss the development of multiple animal models of ASD to contribute to the disease mechanisms of ASD, as well as new studies from multiple disciplines to assess the behavioral pathology of ASD. In addition, we summarize and highlight the mechanistic advances regarding gene transcription, RNA and non-coding RNA translation, abnormal synaptic signaling pathways, epigenetic post-translational modifications, brain-gut axis, immune inflammation and neural loop abnormalities in autism to provide a theoretical basis for the next step of precision therapy. Furthermore, we review existing autism therapy tactics and limits and present challenges and opportunities for translating multidisciplinary knowledge of ASD into clinical practice.
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Buzzelli V, Carbone E, Manduca A, Schiavi S, Feo A, Perederiy JV, Ambert KH, Hausman M, Trezza V. Psilocybin mitigates the cognitive deficits observed in a rat model of Fragile X syndrome. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:137-147. [PMID: 36469097 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06286-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and the leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Serotonergic neurotransmission has a key role in the modulation of neuronal activity during development, and therefore, it has been hypothesized to be involved in ASD and co-occurring conditions including FXS. As serotonin is involved in synaptic remodeling and maturation, serotonergic insufficiency during childhood may have a compounding effect on brain patterning in neurodevelopmental disorders, manifesting as behavioral and emotional symptoms. Thus, compounds that stimulate serotonergic signaling such as psilocybin may offer promise as effective early interventions for developmental disorders such as ASD and FXS. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to test whether different protocols of psilocybin administration mitigate cognitive deficits displayed by the recently validated Fmr1-Δexon 8 rat model of ASD, which is also a model of FXS. RESULTS Our results revealed that systemic and oral administration of psilocybin microdoses normalizes the aberrant cognitive performance displayed by adolescent Fmr1-Δexon 8 rats in the short-term version of the novel object recognition test-a measure of exploratory behavior, perception, and recognition. CONCLUSIONS These data support the hypothesis that serotonin-modulating drugs such as psilocybin may be useful to ameliorate ASD-related cognitive deficits. Overall, this study provides evidence of the beneficial effects of different schedules of psilocybin treatment in mitigating the short-term cognitive deficit observed in a rat model of FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Buzzelli
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia Carbone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy.,Neuroendocrinology, Metabolism and Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Feo
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Kyle H Ambert
- Nova Mentis Life Science Corp., Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy.
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Manthos K, Theotokis P, Dermitzakis I, Avramidou E, Meditskou S, Manthou ME, Emmanouil‐Nikoloussi E. Valproic acid induced selective apoptosis of ocular fibrous tunic in mice fetuses. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1257-1265. [DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyriakos Manthos
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Paschalis Theotokis
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neuroimmunology, Second Department of Neurology AHEPA University Hospital Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Iasonas Dermitzakis
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Eleni Avramidou
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Soultana Meditskou
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Maria Eleni Manthou
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Elpida‐Niki Emmanouil‐Nikoloussi
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, School of Medicine Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece
- Department of Histology‐Embryology, Department of Dentistry, School of Medicine European University of Cyprus Nicosia Cyprus
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Taheri F, Esmaeilpour K, Sepehri G, Sheibani V, Ur Rehman N, Maneshian M. Histamine H3 receptor antagonist, ciproxifan, alleviates cognition and synaptic plasticity alterations in a valproic acid-induced animal model of autism. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2673-2693. [PMID: 35538250 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and cognitive behaviors. Histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonists are considered as therapeutic factors for treating cognitive impairments. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the H3R antagonist, ciproxifan (CPX), on cognition impairment especially, spatial learning memory, and synaptic plasticity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in autistic rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were injected with either valproic acid (VPA) (600 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline on an embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5). The effects of the H3R antagonist, ciproxifan (CPX) (1, 3 mg/kg, i.p.), were investigated on learning and memory in VPA-exposed rat pups and saline-exposed rat pups using Morris water maze (MWM) and social interaction tasks. The H2R antagonist, famotidine (FAM) (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, i.p.), was used to determine whether brain histaminergic neurotransmission exerted its procognitive effects through the H2R. In addition, synaptic reinforcement was evaluated by in vivo field potential recording. RESULTS The results showed that VPA-exposed rat pups had significantly lower sociability and social memory performance compared to the saline rats. VPA-exposed rat pups exhibited learning and memory impairments in the MWM task. In addition, VPA caused suppression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. Our results demonstrated that CPX 3 mg/kg improved VPA-induced cognitive impairments and FAM 20 mg/kg attenuated cognitive behaviors as well as electrophysiological properties. CONCLUSIONS CPX 3 mg/kg improved VPA-induced impairments of LTP as well as learning and memory deficits through H2R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farahnaz Taheri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
- Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Gholamreza Sepehri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Naeem Ur Rehman
- Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Marzieh Maneshian
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Attia SM, Ahmad SF, Nadeem A, Attia M, Ansari MA, Al-Hamamah MA, Hussein MH, Alameen AA, Alasmari AF, Bakheet SA. Multiple exposure to methylmercury aggravates DNA damage in the BTBR T + Itpr3 tf/J autistic mouse model: the role of DNA repair efficiency. Toxicology 2022; 477:153277. [PMID: 35914580 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Environmental and genetic factors have been recognized to play major roles in the pathogenesis of autism. Here we examined the BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice's susceptibility, an autistic model, to the genotoxic effects and DNA repair dysregulation of methylmercury. Micronuclei formation and oxidative DNA damage were analyzed using the micronucleus/fluorescence in situ hybridization test and modified comet assay, respectively. The results showed higher centromeric-positive micronuclei and oxidative DNA damage in BTBR mice exposed to methylmercury than the unexposed mice, which indicates that mutagenesis aggravated in BTBR mice after methylmercury exposure. Lipid peroxides in BTBR mice were significantly elevated, with a decrease in reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio after methylmercury exposure, indicating an augmenting oxidant-antioxidant imbalance. The expression of several genes involved in DNA repair was markedly altered in BTBR mice after methylmercury exposure as evaluated via PCR array and RT-PCR analyses. Declining of the antioxidant defense and dysregulation in DNA repair process after methylmercury exposure may explain the aggravated genotoxic susceptibility of BTBR mice. Thus, autistic individuals exposed to methylmercury must be under regular medical follow-up through standard timetabled medical laboratory inquiry to allow for early recognition of any mutagenic changes. Additionally, strategies that elevate cellular antioxidants/DNA repair efficiency may counteract methylmercury-induced genotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
| | - S F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - A Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Msm Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M A Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M A Al-Hamamah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M H Hussein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - A A Alameen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - A F Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - S A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Epigenetics of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Histone Deacetylases. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:922-933. [PMID: 35120709 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unknown, but gene-environment interactions, mediated through epigenetic mechanisms, are thought to be a key contributing factor. Prenatal environmental factors have been shown to be associated with both increased risk of ASD and altered histone deacetylases (HDACs) or acetylation levels. The relationship between epigenetic changes and gene expression in ASD suggests that alterations in histone acetylation, which lead to changes in gene transcription, may play a key role in ASD. Alterations in the acetylome have been demonstrated for several genes in ASD, including genes involved in synaptic function, neuronal excitability, and immune responses, which are mechanisms previously implicated in ASD. We review preclinical and clinical studies that investigated HDACs and autism-associated behaviors and discuss risk genes for ASD that code for proteins associated with HDACs. HDACs are also implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders with a known genetic etiology, such as 15q11-q13 duplication and Phelan-McDermid syndrome, which share clinical features and diagnostic comorbidities (e.g., epilepsy, anxiety, and intellectual disability) with ASD. Furthermore, we highlight factors that affect the behavioral phenotype of acetylome changes, including sensitive developmental periods and brain region specificity in the context of epigenetic programming.
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18
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Zhou B, Zheng X, Chen Y, Yan X, Peng J, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Tang L, Wen M. The Changes of Amygdala Transcriptome in Autism Rat Model After Arginine Vasopressin Treatment. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:838942. [PMID: 35401102 PMCID: PMC8990166 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.838942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some studies have shown that arginine vasopressin (AVP) can significantly improve the social interaction disorder of autism, but the mechanism remains unclear. Methods Female Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with VPA or normal saline at embryonic day 12.5 to establish an autism model or normal control in their offspring. Male offspring prenatally exposed to VPA were randomly assigned to two groups: the VPA-induced autism model group and the AVP group. The rats in the AVP group were treated with intranasal AVP at postnatal day (PND) 21 and for 3 weeks. The VPA-induced autism model group was given the same dose of normal saline in the same way. Behavioral responses were evaluated in the open field and three-chambered social test apparatus; the expression levels of AVP in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and the gene expression levels on the amygdala were measured by RNA-seq at PND42. Results Intranasal administration of AVP can significantly improve the social interaction disorder and elevate the levels of AVP in serum. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that 518 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the VPA-induced autism model group compared with the control in this study. Gene Ontology biological process enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that the VPA-induced autism model group had significant nervous system developmental impairments compared with the normal group, particularly in gliogenesis, glial cell differentiation, and oligodendrocyte differentiation. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) enrichment analysis also showed that biological process of oligodendrocyte differentiation, axoneme assembly, and axon ensheathment were inhibited in the VPA-induced autism model group. Pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs between the control and VPA-induced autism model group showed that the PI3K/AKT and Wnt pathways were significantly dysregulated in the VPA-induced autism model group. Few DEGs were found when compared with the transcriptome between the VPA-induced autism model group and the AVP treatment group. GSEA enrichment analysis showed deficits in oligodendrocyte development and function were significantly improved after AVP treatment; the pathways were mainly enriched in the NOTCH, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and focal adhesion signaling pathways, but not in the PI3K/AKT and Wnt pathways. The expression patterns analysis also showed the same results. Conclusion AVP can significantly improve the social interaction disorder of VPA-induced autism model, and AVP may target behavioral symptoms in autism by modulating the vasopressin pathways, rather than primary disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yunhua Chen
- College of Basic Medical, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xuehui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jinggang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yibu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Lei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- *Correspondence: Lei Tang,
| | - Min Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Min Wen,
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László K, Kiss O, Vörös D, Mintál K, Ollmann T, Péczely L, Kovács A, Zagoracz O, Kertes E, Kállai V, László B, Hormay E, Berta B, Tóth A, Karádi Z, Lénárd L. Intraamygdaloid Oxytocin Reduces Anxiety in the Valproate-Induced Autism Rat Model. Biomedicines 2022; 10:405. [PMID: 35203614 PMCID: PMC8962302 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder affecting about 1.5% of children, and its prevalence is increasing. Anxiety is one of the most common comorbid signs of ASD. Despite the increasing prevalence, the pathophysiology of ASD is still poorly understood, and its proper treatment has not been defined yet. In order to develop new therapeutic approaches, the valproate- (VPA) induced rodent model of autism can be an appropriate tool. Oxytocin (OT), as a prosocial hormone, may ameliorate some symptoms of ASD. METHODS In the present study, we investigated the possible anxiolytic effect of intraamygdaloid OT on VPA-treated rats using the elevated plus maze test. RESULTS Our results show that male Wistar rats prenatally exposed to VPA spent significantly less time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze apparatus and performed significantly less head dips from the open arms. Bilateral OT microinjection into the central nucleus of the amygdala increased the time spent in the open arms and the number of head dips and reduced the anxiety to the healthy control level. An OT receptor antagonist blocked the anxiolytic effects of OT. The antagonist by itself did not influence the time rats spent in the open arms. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that intraamygdaloid OT has anxiolytic effects in autistic rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristóf László
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Kiss
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dávid Vörös
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Kitti Mintál
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Ollmann
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Péczely
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Anita Kovács
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Olga Zagoracz
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Erika Kertes
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Veronika Kállai
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Bettina László
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Edina Hormay
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Beáta Berta
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Tóth
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Karádi
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Center, Molecular Endocrinology and Neurophysiology Research Group, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Lénárd
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary; (O.K.); (D.V.); (K.M.); (T.O.); (L.P.); (A.K.); (O.Z.); (E.K.); (V.K.); (B.L.); (E.H.); (B.B.); (A.T.); (Z.K.); (L.L.)
- Neuroscience Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Center, Molecular Endocrinology and Neurophysiology Research Group, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
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20
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Pugsley K, Scherer SW, Bellgrove MA, Hawi Z. Environmental exposures associated with elevated risk for autism spectrum disorder may augment the burden of deleterious de novo mutations among probands. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:710-730. [PMID: 34002022 PMCID: PMC8960415 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01142-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although the full aetiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is unknown, familial and twin studies demonstrate high heritability of 60-90%, indicating a predominant role of genetics in the development of the disorder. The genetic architecture of ASD consists of a complex array of rare and common variants of all classes of genetic variation usually acting additively to augment individual risk. The relative contribution of heredity in ASD persists despite selective pressures against the classic autistic phenotype; a phenomenon thought to be explained, in part, by the incidence of spontaneous (or de novo) mutations. Notably, environmental exposures attributed as salient risk factors for ASD may play a causal role in the emergence of deleterious de novo variations, with several ASD-associated agents having significant mutagenic potential. To explore this hypothesis, this review article assesses published epidemiological data with evidence derived from assays of mutagenicity, both in vivo and in vitro, to determine the likely role such agents may play in augmenting the genetic liability in ASD. Broadly, these exposures were observed to elicit genomic alterations through one or a combination of: (1) direct interaction with genetic material; (2) impaired DNA repair; or (3) oxidative DNA damage. However, the direct contribution of these factors to the ASD phenotype cannot be determined without further analysis. The development of comprehensive prospective birth cohorts in combination with genome sequencing is essential to forming a causal, mechanistic account of de novo mutations in ASD that links exposure, genotypic alterations, and phenotypic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kealan Pugsley
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646The Centre for Applied Genomics and Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938McLaughlin Centre and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Mark A. Bellgrove
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Ziarih Hawi
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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21
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Gzielo K, Nikiforuk A. Astroglia in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11544. [PMID: 34768975 PMCID: PMC8583956 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term encompassing several neurodevelopmental disorders such as Asperger syndrome or autism. It is characterised by the occurrence of distinct deficits in social behaviour and communication and repetitive patterns of behaviour. The symptoms may be of different intensity and may vary in types. Risk factors for ASD include disturbed brain homeostasis, genetic predispositions, or inflammation during the prenatal period caused by viruses or bacteria. The number of diagnosed cases is growing, but the main cause and mechanism leading to ASD is still uncertain. Recent findings from animal models and human cases highlight the contribution of glia to the ASD pathophysiology. It is known that glia cells are not only "gluing" neurons together but are key players participating in different processes crucial for proper brain functioning, including neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, inflammation, myelination, proper glutamate processing and many others. Despite the prerequisites for the involvement of glia in the processes related to the onset of autism, there are far too little data regarding the engagement of these cells in the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Gzielo
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smętna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland;
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22
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Thornton AM, Humphrey RM, Kerr DM, Finn DP, Roche M. Increasing Endocannabinoid Tone Alters Anxiety-Like and Stress Coping Behaviour in Female Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26123720. [PMID: 34207178 PMCID: PMC8233839 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the sex differences evident in the prevalence of autism, there is an increased awareness of the importance of including females in autism research to determine sexual dimorphism and sex-specific treatments. Cannabinoids and endocannabinoid modulators have been proposed as potential novel treatments for autism-related symptoms; however, few studies to date have examined if these pharmacological agents elicit sex-specific effects. The aim of the present study was to use the valproic acid (VPA) model of autism to compare the behavioural responses of male and female rats and examine the effects of increasing endocannabinoid tone on the behavioural responses of VPA-exposed female rats. These data revealed that VPA-exposed male, but not female, rats exhibit reduced social responding in the three-chamber and olfactory habituation/dishabituation (OHD) test during adolescence. In comparison, VPA-exposed female, but not male, adolescent rats exhibited anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT). In VPA-exposed female rats, increasing 2-AG levels augmented anxiety-like behaviour in the EPM and OFT, while increasing AEA levels reduced stress coping behaviour in the swim stress test. These data highlight sexual dimorphic behaviours in the VPA model and indicate that enhancing endocannabinoid levels may exacerbate negative affective behaviour in VPA-exposed females. Thus, considerations should be paid to the possible sex-specific effects of cannabinoids for the treatment of symptoms associated with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife M. Thornton
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (A.M.T.); (R.M.H.)
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Rachel M. Humphrey
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (A.M.T.); (R.M.H.)
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
- Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
| | - Daniel M. Kerr
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
| | - David P. Finn
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
- Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Michelle Roche
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland; (A.M.T.); (R.M.H.)
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland;
- Centre for Pain Research, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
- Correspondence:
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23
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Adewole KE, Attah AF, Osawe SO. Exploring phytotherapeutic approach in the management of valproic acid-induced toxicity. ADVANCES IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13596-021-00575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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24
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Gillentine MA, Wang T, Hoekzema K, Rosenfeld J, Liu P, Guo H, Kim CN, De Vries BBA, Vissers LELM, Nordenskjold M, Kvarnung M, Lindstrand A, Nordgren A, Gecz J, Iascone M, Cereda A, Scatigno A, Maitz S, Zanni G, Bertini E, Zweier C, Schuhmann S, Wiesener A, Pepper M, Panjwani H, Torti E, Abid F, Anselm I, Srivastava S, Atwal P, Bacino CA, Bhat G, Cobian K, Bird LM, Friedman J, Wright MS, Callewaert B, Petit F, Mathieu S, Afenjar A, Christensen CK, White KM, Elpeleg O, Berger I, Espineli EJ, Fagerberg C, Brasch-Andersen C, Hansen LK, Feyma T, Hughes S, Thiffault I, Sullivan B, Yan S, Keller K, Keren B, Mignot C, Kooy F, Meuwissen M, Basinger A, Kukolich M, Philips M, Ortega L, Drummond-Borg M, Lauridsen M, Sorensen K, Lehman A, Lopez-Rangel E, Levy P, Lessel D, Lotze T, Madan-Khetarpal S, Sebastian J, Vento J, Vats D, Benman LM, Mckee S, Mirzaa GM, Muss C, Pappas J, Peeters H, Romano C, Elia M, Galesi O, Simon MEH, van Gassen KLI, Simpson K, Stratton R, Syed S, Thevenon J, Palafoll IV, Vitobello A, Bournez M, Faivre L, Xia K, Earl RK, Nowakowski T, Bernier RA, Eichler EE. Rare deleterious mutations of HNRNP genes result in shared neurodevelopmental disorders. Genome Med 2021; 13:63. [PMID: 33874999 PMCID: PMC8056596 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00870-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the increasing number of genomic sequencing studies, hundreds of genes have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The rate of gene discovery far outpaces our understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations, with clinical characterization remaining a bottleneck for understanding NDDs. Most disease-associated Mendelian genes are members of gene families, and we hypothesize that those with related molecular function share clinical presentations. METHODS We tested our hypothesis by considering gene families that have multiple members with an enrichment of de novo variants among NDDs, as determined by previous meta-analyses. One of these gene families is the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs), which has 33 members, five of which have been recently identified as NDD genes (HNRNPK, HNRNPU, HNRNPH1, HNRNPH2, and HNRNPR) and two of which have significant enrichment in our previous meta-analysis of probands with NDDs (HNRNPU and SYNCRIP). Utilizing protein homology, mutation analyses, gene expression analyses, and phenotypic characterization, we provide evidence for variation in 12 HNRNP genes as candidates for NDDs. Seven are potentially novel while the remaining genes in the family likely do not significantly contribute to NDD risk. RESULTS We report 119 new NDD cases (64 de novo variants) through sequencing and international collaborations and combined with published clinical case reports. We consider 235 cases with gene-disruptive single-nucleotide variants or indels and 15 cases with small copy number variants. Three hnRNP-encoding genes reach nominal or exome-wide significance for de novo variant enrichment, while nine are candidates for pathogenic mutations. Comparison of HNRNP gene expression shows a pattern consistent with a role in cerebral cortical development with enriched expression among radial glial progenitors. Clinical assessment of probands (n = 188-221) expands the phenotypes associated with HNRNP rare variants, and phenotypes associated with variation in the HNRNP genes distinguishes them as a subgroup of NDDs. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our novel approach of exploiting gene families in NDDs identifies new HNRNP-related disorders, expands the phenotypes of known HNRNP-related disorders, strongly implicates disruption of the hnRNPs as a whole in NDDs, and supports that NDD subtypes likely have shared molecular pathogenesis. To date, this is the first study to identify novel genetic disorders based on the presence of disorders in related genes. We also perform the first phenotypic analyses focusing on related genes. Finally, we show that radial glial expression of these genes is likely critical during neurodevelopment. This is important for diagnostics, as well as developing strategies to best study these genes for the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn A Gillentine
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 3720 15th Ave NE S413A, Box 355065, Seattle, WA, 981095-5065, USA
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 3720 15th Ave NE S413A, Box 355065, Seattle, WA, 981095-5065, USA
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 3720 15th Ave NE S413A, Box 355065, Seattle, WA, 981095-5065, USA
| | - Jill Rosenfeld
- Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hui Guo
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 3720 15th Ave NE S413A, Box 355065, Seattle, WA, 981095-5065, USA.,Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chang N Kim
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bert B A De Vries
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisenka E L M Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Magnus Nordenskjold
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Kvarnung
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Lindstrand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ann Nordgren
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jozef Gecz
- School of Medicine and the Robinson Research Institute, the University of Adelaide at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Genetics and Molecular Pathology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Maria Iascone
- Laboratorio di Genetica Medica - ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Anna Cereda
- Department of Pediatrics, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Agnese Scatigno
- Department of Pediatrics, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Silvia Maitz
- Genetic Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Fondazione MBBM S. Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Ginevra Zanni
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Christiane Zweier
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sarah Schuhmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Antje Wiesener
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Micah Pepper
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heena Panjwani
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Farida Abid
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Irina Anselm
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Siddharth Srivastava
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paldeep Atwal
- The Atwal Clinic: Genomic & Personalized Medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Carlos A Bacino
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gifty Bhat
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katherine Cobian
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lynne M Bird
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.,Genetics/Dysmorphology, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Friedman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.,Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Meredith S Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.,Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Florence Petit
- Clinique de Génétique, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Bâtiment Modulaire, CHU, 59037, Lille Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Mathieu
- Sorbonne Universités, Centre de Référence déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares, département de génétique et embryologie médicale, Hôpital Trousseau, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Afenjar
- Sorbonne Universités, Centre de Référence déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares, département de génétique et embryologie médicale, Hôpital Trousseau, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Celenie K Christensen
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kerry M White
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, IU Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Orly Elpeleg
- Department of Genetics, Hadassah, Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Itai Berger
- Pediatric Neurology, Assuta-Ashdod University Hospital, Ashdod, Israel.,Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Edward J Espineli
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christina Fagerberg
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | | | - Timothy Feyma
- Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Susan Hughes
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.,The University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Isabelle Thiffault
- The University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.,Children's Mercy Kansas City, Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Bonnie Sullivan
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Shuang Yan
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Kory Keller
- Oregon Health & Science University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Boris Keren
- Department of Genetics, Hópital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Cyril Mignot
- Department of Genetics, Hópital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Frank Kooy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marije Meuwissen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alice Basinger
- Genetics Department, Cook Children's Hospital, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Mary Kukolich
- Genetics Department, Cook Children's Hospital, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Meredith Philips
- Genetics Department, Cook Children's Hospital, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Lucia Ortega
- Genetics Department, Cook Children's Hospital, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | | | - Mathilde Lauridsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kristina Sorensen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Anna Lehman
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Elena Lopez-Rangel
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul Levy
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Davor Lessel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Timothy Lotze
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Suneeta Madan-Khetarpal
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jessica Sebastian
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jodie Vento
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Divya Vats
- Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Shane Mckee
- Northern Ireland Regional Genetics Service, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK
| | - Ghayda M Mirzaa
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Candace Muss
- Al Dupont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - John Pappas
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Genetic Services, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hilde Peeters
- Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven and Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Marleen E H Simon
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen L I van Gassen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kara Simpson
- Rare Disease Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert Stratton
- Department of Genetics, Driscoll Children's Hospital, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
| | - Sabeen Syed
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Driscoll Children's Hospital, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
| | - Julien Thevenon
- Àrea de Genètica Clínica i Molecular, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Vitobello
- UF Innovation en Diagnostic Génomique des Maladies Rares, FHU-TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne and INSERM UMR1231 GAD, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France.,INSERM UMR 1231 Génétique des Anomalies du Développement, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Marie Bournez
- Centre de Référence Maladies Rares « déficience intellectuelle », Centre de Génétique, FHU-TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France.,Centre de Référence Maladies Rares « Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes malformatifs » Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Laurence Faivre
- INSERM UMR 1231 Génétique des Anomalies du Développement, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,Centre de Référence Maladies Rares « Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes malformatifs » Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Kun Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | | | - Rachel K Earl
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tomasz Nowakowski
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 3720 15th Ave NE S413A, Box 355065, Seattle, WA, 981095-5065, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Healing autism spectrum disorder with cannabinoids: a neuroinflammatory story. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 121:128-143. [PMID: 33358985 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a multifactorial etiology. Latest researches are raising the hypothesis of a link between the onset of the main behavioral symptoms of ASD and the chronic neuroinflammatory condition of the autistic brain; increasing evidence of this connection is shedding light on new possible players in the pathogenesis of ASD. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has a key role in neurodevelopment as well as in normal inflammatory responses and it is not surprising that many preclinical and clinical studies account for alterations of the endocannabinoid signaling in ASD. These findings lay the foundation for a better understanding of the neurochemical mechanisms underlying ASD and for new therapeutic attempts aimed at exploiting the renowned anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids to treat pathologies encompassed in the autistic spectrum. This review discusses the current preclinical and clinical evidence supporting a key role of the ECS in the neuroinflammatory state that characterizes ASD, providing hints to identify new biomarkers in ASD and promising therapies for the future.
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Gzielo K, Potasiewicz A, Hołuj M, Litwa E, Popik P, Nikiforuk A. Valproic acid exposure impairs ultrasonic communication in infant, adolescent and adult rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 41:52-62. [PMID: 32978035 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Persistent deficits of social communication are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Communication disabilities can be experimentally modeled using rodents' ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Although prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is one of the most widely used animal models of ASD, little is known about communication impairments in this model. We performed a longitudinal study to characterize VPA-induced socio-communicative deficits in male and female rats. USVs were recorded in neonatal rats during maternal separation, in adolescent rats during social play, and in adult rats during social interactions. VPA male and female pups emitted a reduced number of USVs. Their calls were shorter and of an elevated peak frequency. Although social play deficits in adolescent rats were restricted to males only, both males and females demonstrated quantitative and qualitative changes in USVs. Altered vocalization also accompanied deficient social interactions in adult VPA males. In contrast to the adolescents, however, these differences were limited to a reduced number of USVs, but not to the call's structure. Present data suggest that ultrasonic vocalization measurement is a useful tool in detecting lifelong communicative disability in a VPA exposure-induced ASD model. We postulate that USV assessment in female rats may be a more sensitive indicator of juvenile autistic-like disturbances than other behavioral measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Gzielo
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Potasiewicz
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Hołuj
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa Litwa
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Popik
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Nikiforuk
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Chaliha D, Albrecht M, Vaccarezza M, Takechi R, Lam V, Al-Salami H, Mamo J. A Systematic Review of the Valproic-Acid-Induced Rodent Model of Autism. Dev Neurosci 2020; 42:12-48. [DOI: 10.1159/000509109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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28
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Potasiewicz A, Gzielo K, Popik P, Nikiforuk A. Effects of prenatal exposure to valproic acid or poly(I:C) on ultrasonic vocalizations in rat pups: The role of social cues. Physiol Behav 2020; 225:113113. [PMID: 32738314 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sociocommunicative deficits commonly observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be experimentally modeled using rodents' ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). For example, USVs emitted by pups, separated from their mothers and nest, serve as a useful tool to identify autistic-like behaviors during the early period of development. Being sensitive to social context, these neonatal calls may help to reveal reduced social attachment or abnormal processing of social information. The aim of the present study was to characterize quantitative and structural changes in USVs emitted during isolation by male and female rat pups prenatally exposed to either valproic acid (VPA) or poly(I:C). To determine whether those pups differed from controls in sensitivity to social stimuli, isolation-induced USVs were recorded under two bedding conditions, i.e., novel bedding and soiled bedding from their home cages. Our results demonstrated early communication deficits in both models of autism. We reported a reduced number of USVs emitted by both VPA- and poly(I:C)-exposed males and females. Moreover, compared to the controls, VPA (but not poly(I:C)) pups emitted shorter calls with a higher peak frequency. While VPA offspring demonstrated fewer USVs on the "safe" bedding imbued with maternal/nest odors, this calming effect was not observed in poly(I:C) males, suggesting a more specific deficit in social communication. The present results demonstrate that qualitative along with quantitative analyses of neonatal vocalizations are a useful tool for assessing early sociocommunicative deficits in ASD models. Notably, more specific changes in USV emission may be detected when introducing social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Potasiewicz
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kinga Gzielo
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Popik
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Nikiforuk
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, 12 Smetna Street, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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29
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Ishola IO, Balogun AO, Adeyemi OO. Novel potential of metformin on valproic acid-induced autism spectrum disorder in rats: involvement of antioxidant defence system. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2020; 34:650-661. [PMID: 32415700 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to increase the risk of autism in children. This study examined the effect of metformin on VPA-induced autism spectrum disorders in rats. Pregnant albino rats administered VPA (500 mg/kg, i.p.) or normal saline (10 mL/kg, i.p.; vehicle-control) on gestational day 12.5. The pups were given metformin (5, 50 or 500 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle (10 mL/kg, p.o.) daily from postnatal day (PND) 21-50. Social behaviour, spatial learning/reference memory, repetitive behaviour and anxiety were assessed using the three-chamber social assay, Morris water maze (MWM), Y maze and elevated plus maze tests (EPM), respectively. On PND 51, the animals were euthanized and brains removed for biochemical assay. In utero VPA exposure caused significant reduction in sociability index, social novelty preference index in three-chambered apparatus and spatial learning and reference memory deficits in the MWM task as well as increase in repetitive/anxiety-like behaviour in Y maze and EPM tests, respectively, which were ameliorated by post-treatment with metformin in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, prenatal VPA increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite levels as well as deficits in antioxidant enzymes activities in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) which were attenuated by metformin administration. Similarly, VPA-induced increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in the hippocampus and PFC were attenuated by postnatal treatment with metformin. Findings from this study showed that postnatal administration of metformin prevented valproic acid-induced autistic-like behaviour. Hence, metformin could be a potential adjunct in the management of autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail O Ishola
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos State, Nigeria
| | - Aishat O Balogun
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos State, Nigeria
| | - Olufunmilayo O Adeyemi
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos State, Nigeria
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30
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The role of neuroglia in autism spectrum disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 173:301-330. [PMID: 32711814 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuroglia are a large class of neural cells of ectodermal (astroglia, oligodendroglia, and peripheral glial cells) and mesodermal (microglia) origin. Neuroglial cells provide homeostatic support, protection, and defense to the nervous tissue. Pathological potential of neuroglia has been acknowledged since their discovery. Research of the recent decade has shown the key role of all classes of glial cells in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), although molecular mechanisms defining glial contribution to ASD are yet to be fully characterized. This narrative conceptualizes recent findings of the broader roles of glial cells, including their active participation in the control of cerebral environment and regulation of synaptic development and scaling, highlighting their putative involvement in the etiopathogenesis of ASD.
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Hughes EM, Calcagno P, Clarke M, Sanchez C, Smith K, Kelly JP, Finn DP, Roche M. Prenatal exposure to valproic acid reduces social responses and alters mRNA levels of opioid receptor and pre-pro-peptide in discrete brain regions of adolescent and adult male rats. Brain Res 2020; 1732:146675. [PMID: 31978376 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Altered social behaviours are a hallmark of several psychiatric and developmental disorders. Clinical and preclinical data have demonstrated that prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an anti-epileptic and mood stabiliser, is associated with impaired social responses, and thus provides a useful model for the evaluation of neurobiological mechanisms underlying altered social behaviours. The opioid system is widely recognised to regulate and modulate social behaviours, however few studies have examined if the endogenous opioid system is altered in animal models of social impairment. The present study examined social behavioural responses of adolescent and adult male rats prenatally exposed to VPA, and the expression of mRNA encoding opioid receptors and pre-pro-peptides in discrete brain regions. Adolescent and adult rats prenatally exposed to VPA spent less time engaging in social behaviours in the direct social interaction test and exhibited reduced sociability and social novelty preference in the 3-chamber sociability test, compared to saline-treated counterparts. The VPA-exposed adolescent rats exhibited significantly reduced kappa opioid receptor (oprk1) and pre-pro-dynorphin (pdyn) mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex, and reduced oprk1 and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (oprl1) mRNA expression in the hypothalamus. Adult rats prenatally exposed to VPA exhibited decreased mRNA expression of oprk1 and pdyn in hypothalamus, reduced pro-opiomelanocortin(pomc) in the striatum and an increase in delta opioid receptor (oprd1) mRNA in the amygdaloid cortex, when compared to saline-treated counterparts. Mu opioid receptor (oprm1) mRNA expression did not differ between saline and VPA-exposed rats in any region examined. The data demonstrate that impaired social behaviours in adolescent and adult rats prenatally exposed to VPA is accompanied by altered mRNA expression of opioid receptors and pre-pro-peptides in a region specific manner. In particular, both adolescent and adult VPA-exposed rats exhibit reduced oprk1-pdyn mRNA expression in several brain regions, which are associated with deficits in social behavioural responding in the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edel M Hughes
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Patricia Calcagno
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Morgane Clarke
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | | | | | - John P Kelly
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Michelle Roche
- Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland; Centre for Pain Research and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
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Manduca A, Servadio M, Melancia F, Schiavi S, Manzoni OJ, Trezza V. Sex-specific behavioural deficits induced at early life by prenatal exposure to the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55, 212-2 depend on mGlu5 receptor signalling. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:449-463. [PMID: 31658362 PMCID: PMC6989958 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Marijuana is the illicit drug most commonly used among pregnant and breastfeeding women. Different studies reported long-term adverse effects induced by in utero exposure to the main component of marijuana, Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both in rodents and in humans. However, little is known about any potential sex-dependent effects of marijuana consumption during pregnancy on newborns at early developmental ages. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We studied the effects of prenatal exposure to the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN; 0.5 mg·kg-1 from GD5 to GD20) on the emotional reactivity and cognitive performance of male and female rat offspring from infancy through adolescence and tested the role of mGlu5 receptor signalling in the observed effects. KEY RESULTS Prenatally WIN-exposed male infant pups emitted less isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations compared with male control pups, when separated from the dam and siblings and showed increased locomotor activity while females were spared. These effects were normalized when male pups were treated with the positive allosteric modulator of mGlu5 receptor CDPPB. When tested at the prepubertal and pubertal periods, WIN-prenatally exposed rats of both sexes did not show any difference in social play behaviour, anxiety and temporal order memory. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We reveal a previously undisclosed sexual divergence in the consequences of fetal cannabinoids on newborns at early developmental ages, which is dependent on mGlu5 receptor signalling. These results provide new impetus for the urgent need to investigate the functional and behavioural substrates of prenatal cannabinoid exposure in both the male offspring and the female offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity “Roma Tre”RomeItaly
- INSERM, INMEDAix Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERMIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - Michela Servadio
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity “Roma Tre”RomeItaly
| | - Francesca Melancia
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity “Roma Tre”RomeItaly
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity “Roma Tre”RomeItaly
| | - Olivier J. Manzoni
- INSERM, INMEDAix Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- Cannalab, Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory, INSERMIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity “Roma Tre”RomeItaly
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Attia SM, Al-Hamamah MA, Ahmad SF, Nadeem A, Attia MSM, Ansari MA, Bakheet SA, Al-Ayadhi LY. Evaluation of DNA repair efficiency in autistic children by molecular cytogenetic analysis and transcriptome profiling. DNA Repair (Amst) 2019; 85:102750. [PMID: 31765876 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2019.102750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Data regarding DNA repair perturbations in autism, which might increase the risk of malignancy, are scarce. To evaluate whether DNA repair may be disrupted in autistic children, we assessed the incidence of endogenous basal DNA strand breaks as well as the efficiency of repairing DNA damage caused by γ-ray in lymphocytes isolated from autistic and healthy children. The incidence of DNA damage and the kinetics of DNA repair were determined by comet assay, while the incidence of residual DNA damage was evaluated by structural chromosomal aberration analysis. Transcriptome profiling of 84 genes associated with DNA damage and repair-signaling pathways was performed by RT² Profiler PCR Array. The array data were confirmed by RT-PCR and western blot studies. Our data indicate that the incidence of basal oxidative DNA strand breaks in autistic children was greater than that in nonautistic controls. Lymphocytes from autistic children displayed higher susceptibility to damage by γ-irradiation and slower repair rate than those from nonautistic children. Although the total unstable chromosomal aberrations were unaffected, lymphocytes from autistic children were more susceptible to chromosomal damage caused by γ-ray than those from nonautistic children. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that several genes associated with repair were downregulated in lymphocytes from autistic individuals and in those exposed to γ-irradiation. This may explain the increased oxidative DNA damage and reduced repair rate in lymphocytes from autistic individuals. These features may be related to the possible correlation between autism and the elevated risk of cancer and may explain the role of the disruption of the DNA repair process in the pathogenesis of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabry M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Mohammed A Al-Hamamah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sheikh F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mushtaq A Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laila Y Al-Ayadhi
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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34
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Prenatal valproate in rodents as a tool to understand the neural underpinnings of social dysfunctions in autism spectrum disorder. Neuropharmacology 2019; 159:107477. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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35
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Schiavi S, Iezzi D, Manduca A, Leone S, Melancia F, Carbone C, Petrella M, Mannaioni G, Masi A, Trezza V. Reward-Related Behavioral, Neurochemical and Electrophysiological Changes in a Rat Model of Autism Based on Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:479. [PMID: 31708750 PMCID: PMC6824319 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to the antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) induces autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in humans and autistic-like behaviors in rodents, which makes it a good model to study the neural underpinnings of ASD. Rats prenatally exposed to VPA show profound deficits in the social domain. The altered social behavior displayed by VPA-exposed rats may be due to either a deficit in social reward processing or to a more general inability to properly understand and respond to social signals. To address this issue, we performed behavioral, electrophysiological and neurochemical experiments and tested the involvement of the brain reward system in the social dysfunctions displayed by rats prenatally exposed to VPA (500 mg/kg). We found that, compared to control animals, VPA-exposed rats showed reduced play responsiveness together with impaired sociability in the three-chamber test and altered social discrimination abilities. In addition, VPA-exposed rats showed altered expression of dopamine receptors together with inherent hyperexcitability of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, when tested for socially-induced conditioned place preference, locomotor response to amphetamine and sucrose preference, control and VPA-exposed rats performed similarly, indicating normal responses to social, drug and food rewards. On the basis of the results obtained, we hypothesize that social dysfunctions displayed by VPA-exposed rats are more likely caused by alterations in cognitive aspects of the social interaction, such as the interpretation and reciprocation of social stimuli and/or the ability to adjust the social behavior of the individual to the changing circumstances in the social and physical environment, rather than to inability to enjoy the pleasurable aspects of the social interaction. The observed neurochemical and electrophysiological alterations in the NAc may contribute to the inability of VPA-exposed rats to process and respond to social cues, or, alternatively, represent a compensatory mechanism towards VPA-induced neurodevelopmental insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Iezzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Leone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Melancia
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Carmen Carbone
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Guido Mannaioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessio Masi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
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Osredkar J, Gosar D, Maček J, Kumer K, Fabjan T, Finderle P, Šterpin S, Zupan M, Jekovec Vrhovšek M. Urinary Markers of Oxidative Stress in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:antiox8060187. [PMID: 31226814 PMCID: PMC6616645 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8060187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, restricted interest and repetitive behavior. Oxidative stress in response to environmental exposure plays a role in virtually every human disease and represents a significant avenue of research into the etiology of ASD. The aim of this study was to explore the diagnostic utility of four urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress. Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine (139) children and adolescents with ASD (89% male, average age = 10.0 years, age range = 2.1 to 18.1 years) and 47 healthy children and adolescents (49% male, average age 9.2, age range = 2.5 to 20.8 years) were recruited for this study. Their urinary 8-OH-dG, 8-isoprostane, dityrosine and hexanoil-lisine were determined by using the ELISA method. Urinary creatinine was determined with the kinetic Jaffee reaction and was used to normalize all biochemical measurements. Non-parametric tests and support vector machines (SVM) with three different kernel functions (linear, radial, polynomial) were used to explore and optimize the multivariate prediction of an ASD diagnosis based on the collected biochemical measurements. The SVM models were first trained using data from a random subset of children and adolescents from the ASD group (n = 70, 90% male, average age = 9.7 years, age range = 2.1 to 17.8 years) and the control group (n = 24, 45.8% male, average age = 9.4 years, age range = 2.5 to 20.8 years) using bootstrapping, with additional synthetic minority over-sampling (SMOTE), which was utilized because of unbalanced data. The computed SVM models were then validated using the remaining data from children and adolescents from the ASD (n = 69, 88% male, average age = 10.2 years, age range = 4.3 to 18.1 years) and the control group (n = 23, 52.2% male, average age = 8.9 years, age range = 2.6 to 16.7 years). Results: Using a non-parametric test, we found a trend showing that the urinary 8-OH-dG concentration was lower in children with ASD compared to the control group (unadjusted p = 0.085). When all four biochemical measurements were combined using SVMs with a radial kernel function, we could predict an ASD diagnosis with a balanced accuracy of 73.4%, thereby accounting for an estimated 20.8% of variance (p < 0.001). The predictive accuracy expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) was solid (95% CI = 0.691-0.908). Using the validation data, we achieved significantly lower rates of classification accuracy as expressed by the balanced accuracy (60.1%), the AUC (95% CI = 0.502-0.781) and the percentage of explained variance (R2 = 3.8%). Although the radial SVMs showed less predictive power using the validation data, they do, together with ratings of standardized SVM variable importance, provide some indication that urinary levels of 8-OH-dG and 8-isoprostane are predictive of an ASD diagnosis. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the examined urinary biomarkers in combination may differentiate children with ASD from healthy peers to a significant extent. However, the etiological importance of these findings is difficult to assesses, due to the high-dimensional nature of SVMs and a radial kernel function. Nonetheless, our results show that machine learning methods may provide significant insight into ASD and other disorders that could be related to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joško Osredkar
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - David Gosar
- Department of Child, Adolescent and Developmental Neurology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Jerneja Maček
- Center for Autism, Unit of Child Psychiatry, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Kristina Kumer
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Teja Fabjan
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Petra Finderle
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Saša Šterpin
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Mojca Zupan
- Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva ulica 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Maja Jekovec Vrhovšek
- Center for Autism, Unit of Child Psychiatry, University Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška c.002, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Mirza R, Sharma B. Benefits of Fenofibrate in prenatal valproic acid-induced autism spectrum disorder related phenotype in rats. Brain Res Bull 2019; 147:36-46. [PMID: 30769127 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with two major behavioral symptoms i.e. repetitive behavior and social-communication impairment. The unknown etiology of ASD is responsible for the difficulty in identifying the possible therapeutic modulators for ASD. Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant drug in both human and rodents with teratogenic effects during pregnancy. Therefore, prenatal exposure of VPA induced autism spectrum disorder like phenotypes in both human and rodents. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-α) is widely localized in the brain. This research investigates the utility of fenofibrate, a selective agonist of PPAR-α in prenatal VPA-induced experimental ASD in Wistar rats. The prenatal VPA has induced social impairment (three chambers social behavior apparatus), repetitive behavior (Y-maze), hyperlocomotion (actophotometer), anxiety (elevated plus maze) and low exploratory activity (hole board test). Also, prenatal VPA treated rats have shown higher levels of oxidative stress (increased in thiobarbituric acid reactive species and decreased in reduced glutathione level) and inflammation (increased in interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and decreased in interleukin-10) in the cerebellum, brainstem and prefrontal cortex. Treatment with fenofibrate significantly attenuated prenatal VPA-induced social impairment, repetitive behavior, hyperactivity, anxiety, and low exploratory activity. Furthermore, fenofibrate also decreased the prenatal VPA-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in brain regions. Hence, it may be concluded that fenofibrate may provide neurobehavioral and biochemical benefits in prenatal VPA-induced autism phenotypes in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roohi Mirza
- Department of Pharmacology, Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bhupesh Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India; CNS Pharmacology, Conscience Research, Delhi, India.
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Schiavi S, Iezzi D, Manduca A, Leone S, Melancia F, Carbone C, Petrella M, Mannaioni G, Masi A, Trezza V. Reward-Related Behavioral, Neurochemical and Electrophysiological Changes in a Rat Model of Autism Based on Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:479. [PMID: 31708750 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00479/bibtex] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to the antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) induces autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in humans and autistic-like behaviors in rodents, which makes it a good model to study the neural underpinnings of ASD. Rats prenatally exposed to VPA show profound deficits in the social domain. The altered social behavior displayed by VPA-exposed rats may be due to either a deficit in social reward processing or to a more general inability to properly understand and respond to social signals. To address this issue, we performed behavioral, electrophysiological and neurochemical experiments and tested the involvement of the brain reward system in the social dysfunctions displayed by rats prenatally exposed to VPA (500 mg/kg). We found that, compared to control animals, VPA-exposed rats showed reduced play responsiveness together with impaired sociability in the three-chamber test and altered social discrimination abilities. In addition, VPA-exposed rats showed altered expression of dopamine receptors together with inherent hyperexcitability of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, when tested for socially-induced conditioned place preference, locomotor response to amphetamine and sucrose preference, control and VPA-exposed rats performed similarly, indicating normal responses to social, drug and food rewards. On the basis of the results obtained, we hypothesize that social dysfunctions displayed by VPA-exposed rats are more likely caused by alterations in cognitive aspects of the social interaction, such as the interpretation and reciprocation of social stimuli and/or the ability to adjust the social behavior of the individual to the changing circumstances in the social and physical environment, rather than to inability to enjoy the pleasurable aspects of the social interaction. The observed neurochemical and electrophysiological alterations in the NAc may contribute to the inability of VPA-exposed rats to process and respond to social cues, or, alternatively, represent a compensatory mechanism towards VPA-induced neurodevelopmental insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Iezzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Leone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Melancia
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Carmen Carbone
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Guido Mannaioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessio Masi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health -NEUROFARBA-, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
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Bronzuoli MR, Facchinetti R, Ingrassia D, Sarvadio M, Schiavi S, Steardo L, Verkhratsky A, Trezza V, Scuderi C. Neuroglia in the autistic brain: evidence from a preclinical model. Mol Autism 2018; 9:66. [PMID: 30603062 PMCID: PMC6307226 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0254-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroglial cells that provide homeostatic support and form defence of the nervous system contribute to all neurological disorders. We analyzed three major types of neuroglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in the brains of an animal model of autism spectrum disorder, in which rats were exposed prenatally to antiepileptic and mood stabilizer drug valproic acid; this model being of acknowledged clinical relevance. Methods We tested the autistic-like behaviors of valproic acid-prenatally exposed male rats by performing isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations, the three-chamber test, and the hole board test. To account for human infancy, adolescence, and adulthood, such tasks were performed at postnatal day 13, postnatal day 35, and postnatal day 90, respectively. After sacrifice, we examined gene and protein expression of specific markers of neuroglia in hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum, these brain regions being associated with autism spectrum disorder pathogenesis. Results Infant offspring of VPA-exposed dams emitted less ultrasonic vocalizations when isolated from their mothers and siblings and, in adolescence and adulthood, they showed altered sociability in the three chamber test and increased stereotypic behavior in the hole board test. Molecular analyses indicate that prenatal valproic acid exposure affects all types of neuroglia, mainly causing transcriptional modifications. The most prominent changes occur in prefrontal cortex and in the hippocampus of autistic-like animals; these changes are particularly evident during infancy and adolescence, while they appear to be mitigated in adulthood. Conclusions Neuroglial pathological phenotype in autism spectrum disorder rat model appears to be rather mild with little signs of widespread and chronic neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli
- 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Vittorio Erspamer" SAPIENZA University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Facchinetti
- 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Vittorio Erspamer" SAPIENZA University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Ingrassia
- 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Vittorio Erspamer" SAPIENZA University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Sarvadio
- 2Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", 00154 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- 2Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", 00154 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Steardo
- 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Vittorio Erspamer" SAPIENZA University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- 3Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT UK.,4Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.,5Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Viviana Trezza
- 2Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University "Roma Tre", 00154 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Scuderi
- 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Vittorio Erspamer" SAPIENZA University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Tartaglione AM, Cipriani C, Chiarotti F, Perrone B, Balestrieri E, Matteucci C, Sinibaldi-Vallebona P, Calamandrei G, Ricceri L. Early Behavioral Alterations and Increased Expression of Endogenous Retroviruses Are Inherited Across Generations in Mice Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3736-3750. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1328-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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