1
|
Oztan O, Del Rosso LA, Simmons SM, Nguyen DKK, Talbot CF, Capitanio JP, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Naturally occurring low sociality in female rhesus monkeys: A tractable model for autism or not? Mol Autism 2024; 15:8. [PMID: 38291493 PMCID: PMC10829375 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00588-3] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent social interaction impairments and is male-biased in prevalence. We have established naturally occurring low sociality in male rhesus monkeys as a model for the social features of ASD. Low-social male monkeys exhibit reduced social interactions and increased autistic-like trait burden, with both measures highly correlated and strongly linked to low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentration. Little is known, however, about the behavioral and neurochemical profiles of female rhesus monkeys, and whether low sociality in females is a tractable model for ASD. METHODS Social behavior assessments (ethological observations; a reverse-translated autistic trait measurement scale, the macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised [mSRS-R]) were completed on N = 88 outdoor-housed female rhesus monkeys during the non-breeding season. CSF and blood samples were collected from a subset of N = 16 monkeys across the frequency distribution of non-social behavior, and AVP and oxytocin (OXT) concentrations were quantified. Data were analyzed using general linear models. RESULTS Non-social behavior frequency and mSRS-R scores were continuously distributed across the general female monkey population, as previously found for male monkeys. However, dominance rank significantly predicted mSRS-R scores in females, with higher-ranking individuals showing fewer autistic-like traits, a relationship not previously observed in males from this colony. Females differed from males in several other respects: Social behavior frequencies were unrelated to mSRS-R scores, and AVP concentration was unrelated to any social behavior measure. Blood and CSF concentrations of AVP were positively correlated in females; no significant relationship involving any OXT measure was found. LIMITATIONS This study sample was small, and did not consider genetic, environmental, or other neurochemical measures that may be related to female mSRS-R scores. CONCLUSIONS Dominance rank is the most significant predictor of autistic-like traits in female rhesus monkeys, and CSF neuropeptide concentrations are unrelated to measures of female social functioning (in contrast to prior CSF AVP findings in male rhesus monkeys and male and female autistic children). Although preliminary, this evidence suggests that the strong matrilineal organization of this species may limit the usefulness of low sociality in female rhesus monkeys as a tractable model for ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Oztan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Laura A Del Rosso
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Sierra M Simmons
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Duyen K K Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Catherine F Talbot
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- School of Psychology, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - John P Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards R348, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards R348, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Parker KJ. Tales from the life and lab of a female social neuroscientist. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100202. [PMID: 38108026 PMCID: PMC10724734 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This narrative review charts my unconventional path to becoming a social neuroscientist and describes my research findings - some baffling, some serendipitous, some pivotal - in the field of neuropeptide biology. I trace my childhood as a Bell Labs "brat" to my adolescence as a soccer-playing party girl, to my early days as a graduate student, when I first encountered oxytocin and vasopressin. These two molecules instantly captivated - and held - my attention and imagination. For more than 25 years, a core goal of my research program has been to better understand how these neuropeptides regulate social functioning across a range of species (e.g., meadow voles, mice, squirrel monkeys, rhesus monkeys, and humans), and to translate fundamental insights from this work to guide development of novel pharmacotherapies to treat social impairments in clinical populations. I also discuss my experience of being a woman and a mother in STEM, and identify the important people and events which helped shape my career and the scientist I am today.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Veenstra-VanderWeele J, O'Reilly KC, Dennis MY, Uribe-Salazar JM, Amaral DG. Translational Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Autism. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:265-276. [PMID: 37002692 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230153] [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] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
While autism spectrum disorder affects nearly 2% of children in the United States, little is known with certainty concerning the etiologies and brain systems involved. This is due, in part, to the substantial heterogeneity in the presentation of the core symptoms of autism as well as the great number of co-occurring conditions that are common in autistic individuals. Understanding the neurobiology of autism is further hampered by the limited availability of postmortem brain tissue to determine the cellular and molecular alterations that take place in the autistic brain. Animal models therefore provide great translational value in helping to define the neural systems that constitute the social brain and mediate repetitive behaviors or interests. If they are based on genetic or environmental factors that contribute to autism, organisms from flies to nonhuman primates may serve as models of the neural structure or function of the autistic brain. Ultimately, successful models can also be employed to test the safety and effectiveness of potential therapeutics. This is an overview of the major animal species that are currently used as models of autism, including an appraisal of the advantages and limitations of each.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - Kally C O'Reilly
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| | - David G Amaral
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York (Veenstra-VanderWeele, O'Reilly); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar), MIND Institute (Dennis, Uribe-Salazar, Amaral), and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Amaral), University of California, Davis
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Boksha IS, Prokhorova TA, Tereshkina EB, Savushkina OK, Burbaeva GS. Differentiated Approach to Pharmacotherapy of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Biochemical Aspects. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2023; 88:303-318. [PMID: 37076279 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923030021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders caused by a complex interaction of numerous genetic and environmental factors and leading to deviations in the nervous system formation at the very early developmental stages. Currently, there are no accepted pharmacological treatments for the so-called core symptoms of ASD, such as social communication disorders and restricted and repetitive behavior patterns. Lack of knowledge about biological basis of ASD, absence of the clinically significant biochemical parameters reflecting abnormalities in the signaling cascades controlling the nervous system development and functioning, and lack of methods for selection of clinically and biologically homogeneous subgroups are considered as causes for the failure of clinical trials of ASD pharmacotherapy. This review considers the possibilities of applying differentiated clinical and biological approaches to the targeted search for ASD pharmacotherapy with emphasis on biochemical markers associated with ASD and attempts to stratify patients by biochemical parameters. The use of such approach as "the target-oriented therapy and assessment of the target status before and during the treatment to identify patients with a positive response to treatment" is discussed using the published results of clinical trials as examples. It is concluded that identification of biochemical parameters for selection of the distinct subgroups among the ASD patients requires research on large samples reflecting clinical and biological diversity of the patients with ASD, and use of unified approaches for such studies. An integrated approach, including clinical observation, clinical-psychological assessment of the patient behavior, study of medical history and description of individual molecular profiles should become a new strategy for stratifying patients with ASD for clinical pharmacotherapeutic trials, as well as for evaluating their efficiency.
Collapse
|
5
|
Rigney N, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Modulation of social behavior by distinct vasopressin sources. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1127792. [PMID: 36860367 PMCID: PMC9968743 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1127792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is well known for its peripheral effects on blood pressure and antidiuresis. However, AVP also modulates various social and anxiety-related behaviors by its actions in the brain, often sex-specifically, with effects typically being stronger in males than in females. AVP in the nervous system originates from several distinct sources which are, in turn, regulated by different inputs and regulatory factors. Based on both direct and indirect evidence, we can begin to define the specific role of AVP cell populations in social behavior, such as, social recognition, affiliation, pair bonding, parental behavior, mate competition, aggression, and social stress. Sex differences in function may be apparent in both sexually-dimorphic structures as well as ones without prominent structural differences within the hypothalamus. The understanding of how AVP systems are organized and function may ultimately lead to better therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liu A, Cai C, Wang Z, Wang B, He J, Xie Y, Deng H, Liu S, Zeng S, Yin Z, Wang M. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based urine metallome to construct clinical decision models for autism spectrum disorder. METALLOMICS : INTEGRATED BIOMETAL SCIENCE 2022; 14:6849992. [PMID: 36442146 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on the rise, and high levels of exposure to toxic heavy metals may be associated with this increase. Urine analysis is a noninvasive method for investigating the accumulation and excretion of heavy metals. The aim of this study was to identify ASD-associated urinary metal markers. METHODS Overall, 70 children with ASD and 71 children with typical development (TD) were enrolled in this retrospective case-control study. In this metallomics investigation, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was performed to obtain the urine profile of 27 metals. RESULTS Children with ASD could be distinguished from children with TD based on the urine metal profile, with ASD children showing an increased urine metal Shannon diversity. A metallome-wide association analysis was used to identify seven ASD-related metals in urine, with cobalt, aluminum, selenium, and lithium significantly higher, and manganese, mercury, and titanium significantly lower in the urine of children with ASD than in children with TD. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) machine learning method was used to rank the seven urine metals in terms of their effect on ASD. On the basis of these seven urine metals, we constructed a LASSO regression model for ASD classification and found an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.913. We also constructed a clinical prediction model for ASD based on the seven metals that were different in the urine of children with ASD and found that the model would be useful for the clinical prediction of ASD risk. CONCLUSIONS The study findings suggest that altered urine metal concentrations may be an important risk factor for ASD, and we recommend further exploration of the mechanisms and clinical treatment measures for such alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aiping Liu
- T he department of Laboratory, Baoan Public Health Service Center of Shenzhen, Baoan District, Shenzhen, 518108, China
| | - Chunquan Cai
- Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Zhangxing Wang
- Division of Neonatology, Shenzhen Longhua People's Hospital, Guangdong 518109, China
| | - Bin Wang
- The department of Dermatology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
| | - Juntao He
- Shenzhen Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases (Physical Testing & Chemical Analysis Department), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Yanhong Xie
- T he department of Laboratory, Baoan Public Health Service Center of Shenzhen, Baoan District, Shenzhen, 518108, China
| | - Honglian Deng
- T he department of Laboratory, Baoan Public Health Service Center of Shenzhen, Baoan District, Shenzhen, 518108, China
| | - Shaozhi Liu
- T he department of Laboratory, Baoan Public Health Service Center of Shenzhen, Baoan District, Shenzhen, 518108, China
| | - Shujuan Zeng
- Division of Neonatology, Longgang District Central Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong 518116, China
| | - Zhaoqing Yin
- Division of Pediatrics, The People's Hospital of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Mangshi, Yunnan 678400, China
| | - Mingbang Wang
- Microbiome Therapy Center, South China Hospital, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518116, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Center for Children's Health, Shanghai 201102, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Talbot CF, Madrid JE, Del Rosso LA, Capitanio JP, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Rhesus monkey sociality is stable across time and linked to variation in the initiation but not receipt of prosocial behavior. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23442. [PMID: 36268602 PMCID: PMC10996916 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rhesus monkeys and humans are highly social primates, yet both species exhibit pronounced variation in social functioning, spanning a spectrum of sociality. Naturally occurring low sociality in rhesus monkeys may be a promising construct by which to model social impairments relevant to human autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly if low sociality is found to be stable across time and associated with diminished social motivation. Thus, to better characterize variation in sociality and social communication profiles, we performed quantitative social behavior assessments on N = 95 male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed in large, outdoor groups. In Study 1, we determined the social classification of our subjects by rank-ordering their total frequency of nonsocial behavior. Monkeys with the greatest frequency of nonsocial behavior were classified as low-social (n = 20) and monkeys with the lowest frequency of nonsocial behavior were classified as high-social (n = 21). To assess group differences in social communication profiles, in Study 2, we quantified the rates of transient social communication signals, and whether these social signals were initiated by or directed towards the focal subject. Finally, in Study 3, we assessed the within-individual stability of sociality in a subset of monkeys (n = 11 low-social, n = 11 high-social) two years following our initial observations. Nonsocial behavior frequency significantly correlated across the two timepoints (Studies 1 and 3). Likewise, low-social versus high-social classification accurately predicted classification two years later. Low-social monkeys initiated less prosocial behavior than high-social monkeys, but groups did not differ in receipt of prosocial behavior, nor did they differ in threat behavior. These findings indicate that sociality is a stable, trait-like characteristic and that low sociality is linked to diminished initiation of prosocial behavior in rhesus macaques. This evidence also suggests that low sociality may be a useful construct for gaining mechanistic insight into the social motivational deficits often observed in people with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine F. Talbot
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
| | - Jesus E. Madrid
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - John P. Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Karen J. Parker
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jung S, Park M. Shank postsynaptic scaffolding proteins in autism spectrum disorder: Mouse models and their dysfunctions in behaviors, synapses, and molecules. Pharmacol Res 2022; 182:106340. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
|