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Delpire E, Ben-Ari Y. A Wholistic View of How Bumetanide Attenuates Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152419. [PMID: 35954263 PMCID: PMC9367773 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The specific NKCC1 cotransporter antagonist, bumetanide, attenuates the severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and many neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders in animal models and clinical trials. However, the pervasive expression of NKCC1 in many cell types throughout the body is thought to challenge the therapeutic efficacy of bumetanide. However, many peripheral functions, including intestinal, metabolic, or vascular, etc., are perturbed in brain disorders contributing to the neurological sequels. Alterations of these functions also increase the incidence of the disorder suggesting complex bidirectional links with the clinical manifestations. We suggest that a more holistic view of ASD and other disorders is warranted to account for the multiple sites impacted by the original intra-uterine insult. From this perspective, large-spectrum active repositioned drugs that act centrally and peripherally might constitute a useful approach to treating these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Delpire
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Yehezkel Ben-Ari
- NeuroChlore, Campus Scientifique de Luminy, 163 Route de Luminy, 13273 Marseilles, France
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2
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Ben-Ari Y, Cherubini E. The GABA Polarity Shift and Bumetanide Treatment: Making Sense Requires Unbiased and Undogmatic Analysis. Cells 2022; 11:396. [PMID: 35159205 PMCID: PMC8834580 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
GABA depolarizes and often excites immature neurons in all animal species and brain structures investigated due to a developmentally regulated reduction in intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl-]i) levels. The control of [Cl-]i levels is mediated by the chloride cotransporters NKCC1 and KCC2, the former usually importing chloride and the latter exporting it. The GABA polarity shift has been extensively validated in several experimental conditions using often the NKCC1 chloride importer antagonist bumetanide. In spite of an intrinsic heterogeneity, this shift is abolished in many experimental conditions associated with developmental disorders including autism, Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, or maternal immune activation. Using bumetanide, an EMA- and FDA-approved agent, many clinical trials have shown promising results with the expected side effects. Kaila et al. have repeatedly challenged these experimental and clinical observations. Here, we reply to the recent reviews by Kaila et al. stressing that the GABA polarity shift is solidly accepted by the scientific community as a major discovery to understand brain development and that bumetanide has shown promising effects in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehezkel Ben-Ari
- Neurochlore, Batiment Beret Delaage, Campus Scientifique de Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Enrico Cherubini
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI)-Rita Levi-Montalcini, 00161 Roma, Italy;
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3
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Gao J, Zou J, Yang L, Zhao J, Wang L, Liu T, Fan X. Alteration of peripheral cortisol and autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:928188. [PMID: 35911217 PMCID: PMC9334910 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.928188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is the main HPA axis hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, and influences metabolism, cognition, and behavior. Recently, a plethora of studies have tried to confirm the correlation between peripheral cortisol and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the results were controversial. We assessed the effects of peripheral cortisol on ASD in this study. The included studies were identified according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled Hedges' g and its 95% confidence interval were selected to evaluate the association between peripheral cortisol and ASD. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, meta-regression, and publication bias tests were also undertaken based on the obtained information. There were a total of twelve studies with 375 ASD patients and 335 controls included in our meta-analysis. Obvious heterogeneity across studies was found in the overall analysis. Peripheral cortisol levels were significantly elevated in ASD patients compared with controls in the absence of obvious heterogeneity. A single study did not influence the overall comparison results. Meta-regression analyses revealed that age and gender of the included subjects, sample size, and publication year did not moderate effects on the present results. These findings may provide us some targeted strategies to the diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Gao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiao Zou
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tianyao Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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4
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Hyperandrogenism? Increased 17, 20-Lyase Activity? A Metanalysis and Systematic Review of Altered Androgens in Boys and Girls with Autism. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212324. [PMID: 34830216 PMCID: PMC8620117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: There is increasing evidence that steroid hormone levels and, especially, androgen levels are elevated in autism. An overactivity of 17, 20-lyase with a higher production of the testosterone precursors dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione/androstenediol seems especially present in autism. Methods: An encompassing literature analysis was performed, searching for altered androgens in children with autism and using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Included were all studies published before 31 March 2021 found using the following electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and TRIP. Eight studies with boys and three studies with girls where steroid hormone measurements were performed from either plasma, urine, or saliva were found and analyzed. Analyses were performed for DHEA(-S/-C), androstenedione/androstenediol, and testosterone. Effect sizes were calculated for each parameter between mean concentrations for children with autism versus healthy controls. Results: Higher levels of androgens in autism were detected, with the majority of calculated effect sizes being larger than one. Conclusions: We found higher levels of the main testosterone precursors DHEA, androstenedione, and androstenediol, likely causing an additionally higher level of testosterone, and an increased 17, 20-lyase activity is therefore implied. Medications already used in PCOS such as metformin might be considered to treat hyperandrogenism in autism following further research.
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Al-Zaid FS, Alhader AFA, Al-Ayadhi LY. A potential role for the adrenal gland in autism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17743. [PMID: 34493761 PMCID: PMC8423764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97266-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgens have been implicated in autism pathophysiology as recently, prenatal exposure to elevated androgens has been proposed as risk factor. However, published data on postnatal sex hormone levels in autistic children are controversial and the source of prenatal androgen exposure in autism remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated postnatal sex hormone levels and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to shed light on a potential role for the adrenal gland in autism pathophysiology. A case-control study investigating estradiol (E2), DHEA, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels was conducted with 31 Saudi males with autism and 28 healthy, age-matched boys plasma. Moreover, correlation analysis with measured hormones and previously measured total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) in the same group of autism was conducted. DHEA was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the autism group compared to controls. DHEA positively correlated with previously measured TT (r = + 0.79, p < 0.001) and FT (r = + 0.72, p < 0.001) levels in the same autism group. FSH levels were also significantly higher in the autism group than in the control group (p < 0.01). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report a strong positive correlation between TT, FT and DHEA, suggesting an adrenal source for elevated androgen levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felwah S Al-Zaid
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P O Box 2925, Riyadh, 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Abdel Fattah A Alhader
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P O Box 2925, Riyadh, 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Laila Y Al-Ayadhi
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P O Box 2925, Riyadh, 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Saitoh BY, Tanaka E, Yamamoto N, Kruining DV, Iinuma K, Nakamuta Y, Yamaguchi H, Yamasaki R, Matsumoto K, Kira JI. Early postnatal allergic airway inflammation induces dystrophic microglia leading to excitatory postsynaptic surplus and autism-like behavior. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:362-380. [PMID: 33862170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia play key roles in synaptic pruning, which primarily occurs from the postnatal period to adolescence. Synaptic pruning is essential for normal brain development and its impairment is implicated in neuropsychiatric developmental diseases such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recent epidemiological surveys reported a strong link between ASD and atopic/allergic diseases. However, few studies have experimentally investigated the relationship between allergy and ASD-like manifestations, particularly in the early postnatal period, when allergic disorders occur frequently. Therefore, we aimed to characterize how allergic inflammation in the early postnatal period influences microglia and behavior using mouse models of short- and long-term airway allergy. Male mice were immunized by an intraperitoneal injection of aluminum hydroxide and ovalbumin (OVA) or phosphate-buffered saline (control) on postnatal days (P) 3, 7, and 11, followed by intranasal challenge with OVA or phosphate-buffered saline solution twice a week until P30 or P70. In the hippocampus, Iba-1-positive areas, the size of Iba-1-positive microglial cell bodies, and the ramification index of microglia by Sholl analysis were significantly smaller in the OVA group than in the control group on P30 and P70, although Iba-1-positive microglia numbers did not differ significantly between the two groups. In Iba-1-positive cells, postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95)-occupied areas and CD68-occupied areas were significantly decreased on P30 and P70, respectively, in the OVA group compared with the control group. Immunoblotting using hippocampal tissues demonstrated that amounts of PSD95, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor 2, and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 2B were significantly increased in the OVA group compared with the control group on P70, and a similar increasing trend for PSD95 was observed on P30. Neurogenesis was not significantly different between the two groups on P30 or P70 by doublecortin immunohistochemistry. The social preference index was significantly lower in the three chamber test and the number of buried marbles was significantly higher in the OVA group than in the control group on P70 but not on P30, whereas locomotion and anxiety were not different between the two groups. Compared with the control group, serum basal corticosterone levels were significantly elevated and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) amounts and nuclear GR translocation in microglia, but not in neurons or astrocytes, were significantly decreased in the OVA group on P70 but not on P30. Gene set enrichment analysis of isolated microglia revealed that genes related to immune responses including Toll-like receptor signaling and chemokine signaling pathways, senescence, and glucocorticoid signaling were significantly upregulated in the OVA group compared with the control group on P30 and P70. These findings suggest that early postnatal allergic airway inflammation induces dystrophic microglia that exhibit defective synaptic pruning upon short- and long-term allergen exposure. Furthermore, long-term allergen exposure induced excitatory postsynaptic surplus and ASD-like behavior. Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and the compensatory downregulation of microglial GR during long-term allergic airway inflammation may also facilitate these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ban-Yu Saitoh
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Eizo Tanaka
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Norio Yamamoto
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Daan van Kruining
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Kyoko Iinuma
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuko Nakamuta
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroo Yamaguchi
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryo Yamasaki
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichiro Matsumoto
- Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kira
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Translational Neuroscience Center, Graduate School of Medicine, and School of Pharmacy at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, 137-1 Enokizu, Ookawa, Fukuoka 831-8501, Japan; Department of Neurology, Brain and Nerve Center, Fukuoka Central Hospital, International University of Health and Welfare, 2-6-11 Yakuin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0022, Japan.
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Gasser BA, Kurz J, Senn W, Escher G, Mohaupt MG. Stress-induced alterations of social behavior are reversible by antagonism of steroid hormones in C57/BL6 mice. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 394:127-135. [PMID: 32894324 PMCID: PMC7778626 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-020-01970-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Various disturbances of social behavior, such as autism, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder, have been associated with an altered steroid hormone homeostasis and a dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. A link between steroid hormone antagonists and the treatment of stress-related conditions has been suggested. We evaluated the effects of stress induction on social behavior in the three chambers and its potential reversibility upon specific steroid hormone antagonism in mice. C57BL/6 mice were stressed twice daily for 8 days by chronic swim testing. Social behavior was evaluated by measuring, first, the preference for sociability and, second, the preference for social novelty in the three-chamber approach before and after the chronic swim test. The reversibility of behavior upon stress induction was analyzed after applying steroid hormone antagonists targeting glucocorticoids with etomidate, mineralocorticoids with potassium canrenoate, and androgens with cyproterone acetate and metformin. In the chronic swim test, increased floating time from 0.8 ± 0.2 min up to 4.8 ± 0.25 min was detected (p < 0.01). In the three-chamber approach, increased preference for sociability and decreased preference for social novelty was detected pre- versus post-stress induction. These alterations of social behavior were barely affected by etomidate and potassium canrenoate, whereas the two androgen antagonists metformin and cyproterone acetate restored social behavior even beyond baseline conditions. The alteration of social behavior was better reversed by the androgen as compared with the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid antagonists. This suggests that social behavior is primarily controlled by androgen rather than by glucocorticoid or mineralocorticoid action. The stress-induced changes in preference for sociability are incompletely explained by steroid hormone action alone. As the best response was related to metformin, an effect via glucose levels might confound the results and should be subject to future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johann Kurz
- Intersci Research Association, Karl Morre Gasse 10, 8430 Leibnitz, Austria
| | - Walter Senn
- Department of Physiology, University of Bern, 3012 Berne, Switzerland
| | - Genevieve Escher
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
- Division of Nephrology/Hypertension, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
| | - Markus Georg Mohaupt
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
- Teaching Hospital Internal Medicine, Lindenhofgruppe, 3006 Berne, Switzerland
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8
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Are Steroid Hormones Dysregulated in Autistic Girls? Diseases 2020; 8:diseases8010006. [PMID: 32183287 PMCID: PMC7151154 DOI: 10.3390/diseases8010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence of altered cholesterol and steroid hormones in autism is increasing. However, as boys are more often affected, evidence mainly relates to autistic males, whereas evidence for affected autistic girls is sparse. Therefore, a comprehensive gas chromatography mass spectrometry-based steroid hormone metabolite analysis was conducted from autistic girls. Results show increased levels of several steroid hormones, especially in the class of androgens in autistic girls such as testosterone or androstenediol. The increase of the majority of steroid hormones in autistic girls is probably best explained multifactorially by a higher substrate provision in line with the previously developed cholesterol hypothesis of autism.
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Ames JL, Windham GC, Lyall K, Pearl M, Kharrazi M, Yoshida CK, Van de Water J, Ashwood P, Croen LA. Neonatal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Subsequent Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability. Autism Res 2019; 13:444-455. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gayle C. Windham
- Environmental Health Investigations BranchCalifornia Department of Public Health Richmond California
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism InstituteDrexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - Michelle Pearl
- Environmental Health Investigations BranchCalifornia Department of Public Health Richmond California
| | - Martin Kharrazi
- Environmental Health Investigations BranchCalifornia Department of Public Health Richmond California
| | | | - Judy Van de Water
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyUniversity of California Davis California
- MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) InstituteUniversity of California Davis California
| | - Paul Ashwood
- MIND (Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) InstituteUniversity of California Davis California
- Department of Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California Davis California
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research Oakland California
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10
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Kawakubo H, Matsui Y, Kushima I, Ozaki N, Shimamura T. A network of networks approach for modeling interconnected brain tissue-specific networks. Bioinformatics 2019; 35:3092-3101. [PMID: 30649245 PMCID: PMC6735868 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation Recent sequence-based analyses have identified a lot of gene variants that may contribute to neurogenetic disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Several state-of-the-art network-based analyses have been proposed for mechanical understanding of genetic variants in neurogenetic disorders. However, these methods were mainly designed for modeling and analyzing single networks that do not interact with or depend on other networks, and thus cannot capture the properties between interdependent systems in brain-specific tissues, circuits and regions which are connected each other and affect behavior and cognitive processes. Results We introduce a novel and efficient framework, called a ‘Network of Networks’ approach, to infer the interconnectivity structure between multiple networks where the response and the predictor variables are topological information matrices of given networks. We also propose Graph-Oriented SParsE Learning, a new sparse structural learning algorithm for network data to identify a subset of the topological information matrices of the predictors related to the response. We demonstrate on simulated data that propose Graph-Oriented SParsE Learning outperforms existing kernel-based algorithms in terms of F-measure. On real data from human brain region-specific functional networks associated with the autism risk genes, we show that the ‘Network of Networks’ model provides insights on the autism-associated interconnectivity structure between functional interaction networks and a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of autism across diverse regions of the brain. Availability and implementation Our software is available from https://github.com/infinite-point/GOSPEL. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideko Kawakubo
- Division of Systems of Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yusuke Matsui
- Laboratory of Intelligence Healthcare, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Psychotherapy for parents and children, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teppei Shimamura
- Division of Systems of Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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11
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Gasser BA, Kurz J, Dick B, Mohaupt MG. Steroid Metabolites Support Evidence of Autism as a Spectrum. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:E52. [PMID: 31075898 PMCID: PMC6562465 DOI: 10.3390/bs9050052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: It is common nowadays to refer to autism as a spectrum. Increased evidence of the involvement of steroid metabolites has been shown by the presence of stronger alterations in Kanner's syndrome compared with Asperger syndrome. Methods: 24 h urine samples were collected from 20 boys with Asperger syndrome, 21 boys with Kanner's syndrome, and identically sized control groups, each matched for age, weight, and height for comprehensive steroid hormone metabolite analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Higher levels of most steroid metabolites were detected in boys with Kanner's syndrome and Asperger syndrome compared to their matched controls. These differences were more pronounced in affected individuals with Kanner's syndrome versus Asperger syndrome. Furthermore, a specific and unique pattern of alteration of androsterone, etiocholanolone, progesterone, tetrahydrocortisone, and tetrahydrocortisol was identified in boys with Kanner's syndrome and Asperger syndrome. Interestingly, in both matched samples, only androsterone, etiocholanolone, progesterone, tetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydrocortisol, and 5a-tetrahydrocortisol groups were positively correlated. In the Asperger syndrome group, all metabolites showed a positive correlation. In the Kanner's syndrome group, 5-a tetrahydrocortisol with androsterone showed a positive correlation. Conclusions: Due to differences in the level of alteration, the premise that Asperger syndrome is on the mild side of the autism spectrum and that Kanner's syndrome is on the severe side is supported, but alteration patterns yield different phenotypic expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johann Kurz
- Intersci Research Association, Karl Morre Gasse 10, 8430 Leibnitz, Austria.
| | - Bernhard Dick
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
- Division of Nephrology/Hypertension, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
| | - Markus Georg Mohaupt
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
- Teaching Hospital Internal Medicine, Lindenhofgruppe, 3006 Berne, Switzerland.
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12
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Lecomte MJ, Bertolus C, Ramanantsoa N, Saurini F, Callebert J, Sénamaud-Beaufort C, Ringot M, Bourgeois T, Matrot B, Collet C, Nardelli J, Mallet J, Vodjdani G, Gallego J, Launay JM, Berrard S. Acetylcholine Modulates the Hormones of the Growth Hormone/Insulinlike Growth Factor-1 Axis During Development in Mice. Endocrinology 2018; 159:1844-1859. [PMID: 29509880 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-03175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pituitary growth hormone (GH) and insulinlike growth factor (IGF)-1 are anabolic hormones whose physiological roles are particularly important during development. The activity of the GH/IGF-1 axis is controlled by complex neuroendocrine systems including two hypothalamic neuropeptides, GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SRIF), and a gastrointestinal hormone, ghrelin. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is involved in tuning GH secretion, and its GH-stimulatory action has mainly been shown in adults but is not clearly documented during development. ACh, together with these hormones and their receptors, is expressed before birth, and somatotroph cells are already responsive to GHRH, SRIF, and ghrelin. We thus hypothesized that ACh could contribute to the modulation of the main components of the somatotropic axis during development. In this study, we generated a choline acetyltransferase knockout mouse line and showed that heterozygous mice display a transient deficit in ACh from embryonic day 18.5 to postnatal day 10, and they recover normal ACh levels from the second postnatal week. This developmental ACh deficiency had no major impact on weight gain and cardiorespiratory status of newborn mice. Using this mouse model, we found that endogenous ACh levels determined the concentrations of circulating GH and IGF-1 at embryonic and postnatal stages. In particular, serum GH level was correlated with brain ACh content. ACh also modulated the levels of GHRH and SRIF in the hypothalamus and ghrelin in the stomach, and it affected the levels of these hormones in the circulation. This study identifies ACh as a potential regulator of the somatotropic axis during the developmental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-José Lecomte
- Univercell-Biosolutions, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Chloé Bertolus
- Département de Chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Nélina Ramanantsoa
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Françoise Saurini
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Callebert
- U942-Inserm, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Maud Ringot
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Bourgeois
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Boris Matrot
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Collet
- U1132-Inserm, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jeannette Nardelli
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Mallet
- UMRS1127-CNRS, Inserm, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Guilan Vodjdani
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
- CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jorge Gallego
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marie Launay
- U942-Inserm, Université Paris-Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Berrard
- PROTECT UMR1141-Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
- CNRS, Paris, France
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Detection of Urine Metabolites in a Rat Model of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome before and after Exercise. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:8182020. [PMID: 28421200 PMCID: PMC5380834 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8182020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Purpose. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the metabolic mechanisms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) via an analysis of urine metabolites prior to and following exercise in a rat model. Methods. A rat model of CFS was established using restraint-stress, forced exercise, and crowded and noisy environments over a period of 4 weeks. Behavioral experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the model. Urine metabolites were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in combination with multivariate statistical analysis before and after exercise. Results. A total of 20 metabolites were detected in CFS rats before and after exercise. Three metabolic pathways (TCA cycle; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; steroid hormone biosynthesis) were significantly impacted before and after exercise, while sphingolipid metabolism alone exhibited significant alterations after exercise only. Conclusion. In addition to metabolic disturbances involving some energy substances, alterations in steroid hormone biosynthesis and sphingolipid metabolism were detected in CFS rats. Sphingosine and 21-hydroxypregnenolone may be key biomarkers of CFS, potentially offering evidence in support of immune dysfunction and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hypoactivity in patients with CFS.
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Jacobson L. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: neuropsychiatric aspects. Compr Physiol 2014; 4:715-38. [PMID: 24715565 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c130036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Evidence of aberrant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity in many psychiatric disorders, although not universal, has sparked long-standing interest in HPA hormones as biomarkers of disease or treatment response. HPA activity may be chronically elevated in melancholic depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. The HPA axis may be more reactive to stress in social anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorders. In contrast, HPA activity is more likely to be low in PTSD and atypical depression. Antidepressants are widely considered to inhibit HPA activity, although inhibition is not unanimously reported in the literature. There is evidence, also uneven, that the mood stabilizers lithium and carbamazepine have the potential to augment HPA measures, while benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, and to some extent, typical antipsychotics have the potential to inhibit HPA activity. Currently, the most reliable use of HPA measures in most disorders is to predict the likelihood of relapse, although changes in HPA activity have also been proposed to play a role in the clinical benefits of psychiatric treatments. Greater attention to patient heterogeneity and more consistent approaches to assessing treatment effects on HPA function may solidify the value of HPA measures in predicting treatment response or developing novel strategies to manage psychiatric disease.
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15
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Tordjman S, Anderson GM, Kermarrec S, Bonnot O, Geoffray MM, Brailly-Tabard S, Chaouch A, Colliot I, Trabado S, Bronsard G, Coulon N, Botbol M, Charbuy H, Camus F, Touitou Y. Altered circadian patterns of salivary cortisol in low-functioning children and adolescents with autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 50:227-45. [PMID: 25244637 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reports of higher stress responsivity, altered sleep-wake cycle and a melatonin deficit in autism have stimulated interest in the cortisol circadian rhythm in individuals with autism. METHODS The study was conducted on 55 low-functioning children and adolescents with autism (11.3 ± 4.1 years-old) and 32 typically developing controls (11.7 ± 4.9 years-old) matched for age, sex and puberty. Behavioral assessment was performed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Salivary samples for measurement of cortisol were collected during a 24-h period (at least 0800 h-Day 1, 1600 h, 0800 h-Day 2 for 46 individuals with autism and 27 controls, and 0800 h-Day 1, 1100 h, 1600 h, 2400 h, 0800 h-Day 2 for 13 individuals with autism and 20 controls). Overnight (2000 h-0800 h) urinary cortisol excretion was also measured. RESULTS The autism group displayed significantly higher levels of salivary cortisol at all time-points, flatter daytime and nighttime slopes, higher 0800 h cortisol levels on Day 2 compared to Day 1, and greater variances of salivary and urinary cortisol. There was a significant relationship between salivary cortisol levels and impairments in social interaction and verbal language. Overnight urinary cortisol excretion was similar in the autism and control groups. CONCLUSION Anticipation of the stressful collection procedure appears to contribute to the higher 0800 h-Day 2 versus 0800 h-Day 1 salivary cortisol levels in autism. This sensitization to stressors might be as, or even more, important clinically than exposure to novelty in autism. The similar group means for overnight urinary cortisol excretion indicate that basal HPA axis functioning is unaltered in low-functioning autism. The elevated salivary cortisol levels observed in autism over the 24-h period in a repeated stressful condition, flattened diurnal cortisol patterns and the apparent effect of anticipation are consistent with prior findings in high trait anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Tordjman
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent de Rennes (PHUPEA), CHGR et Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France; Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8158, Paris, France.
| | - George M Anderson
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New-Haven, CT, USA
| | - Solenn Kermarrec
- Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent de Rennes (PHUPEA), CHGR et Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France; Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8158, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Bonnot
- Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Marie-Maude Geoffray
- Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | - Sylvie Brailly-Tabard
- INSERM U 693, Université Paris-Sud, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; AP-HP, CHU Bicêtre, Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Amel Chaouch
- AP-HP, CHU Bicêtre, Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Isabelle Colliot
- AP-HP, CHU Bicêtre, Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Severine Trabado
- INSERM U 693, Université Paris-Sud, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; AP-HP, CHU Bicêtre, Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Guillaume Bronsard
- Maison Départementale de l'Adolescent et Centre Médico-Psycho-Pédagogique, Conseil Général des Bouches-du-Rhône, France; Laboratoire de Santé Publique EA3279, Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, France
| | - Nathalie Coulon
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8158, Paris, France
| | - Michel Botbol
- Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent de Brest, EA4686, UBO, Brest, France
| | - Henriette Charbuy
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Paris 6 School of Medicine, Paris, France
| | | | - Yvan Touitou
- Chronobiology Unit, Rothschild Foundation, Paris, France
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Al-Zaid FS, Alhader AA, Al-Ayadhi LY. Altered ghrelin levels in boys with autism: a novel finding associated with hormonal dysregulation. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6478. [PMID: 25257829 PMCID: PMC4175729 DOI: 10.1038/srep06478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unclear pathogenesis. Many clinical observations and hormone studies have suggested the involvement of the neuroprotective hormone ghrelin in autism. The current study aimed to investigate the potential role of ghrelin in autism and to elucidate the associated hormonal dysregulation. This case-control study investigated acyl ghrelin (AG), des-acyl ghrelin (DG), total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), leptin and growth hormone (GH) levels in 31 male children with autism and 28 healthy age and sex-matched controls. Hormone levels were measured in the blood using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence immunoassay kits. AG, DG and GH levels were significantly lower in the autism group than in the control group (p ≤ 0.001, p ≤ 0.005 and p ≤ 0.05, respectively). However, TT, FT and leptin levels were significantly higher in the autism group than in the control group (p ≤ 0.05, p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.01, respectively). Our results for the first time demonstrate low AG and DG levels in autistic children. Considering the capacity of ghrelin to affect neuroinflammatory and apoptotic processes that are linked to autism, this study suggests a potential role for the hormone ghrelin in the pathogenesis of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felwah S Al-Zaid
- 1] Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [2] Autism Research and Treatment Center, AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Laila Y Al-Ayadhi
- 1] Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [2] Autism Research and Treatment Center, AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Recurrent duplications of the annexin A1 gene (ANXA1) in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism 2014; 5:28. [PMID: 24720851 PMCID: PMC4098665 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Validating the potential pathogenicity of copy number variants (CNVs) identified in genome-wide studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) requires detailed assessment of case/control frequencies, inheritance patterns, clinical correlations, and functional impact. Here, we characterize a small recurrent duplication in the annexin A1 (ANXA1) gene, identified by the Autism Genome Project (AGP) study. Methods From the AGP CNV genomic screen in 2,147 ASD individuals, we selected for characterization an ANXA1 gene duplication that was absent in 4,964 population-based controls. We further screened the duplication in a follow-up sample including 1,496 patients and 410 controls, and evaluated clinical correlations and family segregation. Sequencing of exonic/downstream ANXA1 regions was performed in 490 ASD patients for identification of additional variants. Results The ANXA1 duplication, overlapping the last four exons and 3’UTR region, had an overall prevalence of 11/3,643 (0.30%) in unrelated ASD patients but was not identified in 5,374 controls. Duplication carriers presented no distinctive clinical phenotype. Family analysis showed neuropsychiatric deficits and ASD traits in multiple relatives carrying the duplication, suggestive of a complex genetic inheritance. Sequencing of exonic regions and the 3’UTR identified 11 novel changes, but no obvious variants with clinical significance. Conclusions We provide multilevel evidence for a role of ANXA1 in ASD etiology. Given its important role as mediator of glucocorticoid function in a wide variety of brain processes, including neuroprotection, apoptosis, and control of the neuroendocrine system, the results add ANXA1 to the growing list of rare candidate genetic etiological factors for ASD.
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The need for a comprehensive molecular characterization of autism spectrum disorders. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:651-73. [PMID: 24229490 DOI: 10.1017/s146114571300117x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of disorders which have complex behavioural phenotypes. Although ASD is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder, genetic research alone has not provided a profound understanding of the underlying causes. Recent developments using biochemical tools such as transcriptomics, proteomics and cellular models, will pave the way to gain new insights into the underlying pathological pathways. This review addresses the state-of-the-art in the search for molecular biomarkers for ASD. In particular, the most important findings in the biochemical field are highlighted and the need for establishing streamlined interaction between behavioural studies, genetics and proteomics is stressed. Eventually, these approaches will lead to suitable translational ASD models and, therefore, a better disease understanding which may facilitate novel drug discovery efforts in this challenging field.
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Li X, Qu F, Xie W, Wang F, Liu H, Song S, Chen T, Zhang Y, Zhu S, Wang Y, Guo C, Tang TS. Transcriptomic analyses of neurotoxic effects in mouse brain after intermittent neonatal administration of thimerosal. Toxicol Sci 2014; 139:452-65. [PMID: 24675092 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfu049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Thimerosal is a vaccine antimicrobial preservative which has long been suspected an iatrogenic factor possibly contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. The association between infant vaccine thimerosal exposure and autism remains an open question. Although thimerosal has been removed from mandatory childhood vaccines in the United States, thimerosal-preserved vaccines are still widely used outside of the United States especially in developing countries. Notably, thimerosal-containing vaccines are being given to the newborns within the first 12-24 h after birth in some countries. To examine the possible neurotoxic effects of early neonatal exposure to a higher level of thimerosal, FVB mice were subcutaneously injected with thimerosal-mercury at a dose which is 20× higher than that used for regular Chinese infant immunization during the first 4 months of life. Thimerosal-treated mice exhibited neural development delay, social interaction deficiency, and inclination of depression. Apparent neuropathological changes were also observed in adult mice neonatally treated with thimerosal. High-throughput RNA sequencing of autistic-behaved mice brains revealed the alternation of a number of canonical pathways involving neuronal development, neuronal synaptic function, and the dysregulation of endocrine system. Intriguingly, the elevation of anterior pituitary secreting hormones occurred exclusively in male but not in female thimerosal-treated mice, demonstrating for the first time the gender bias of thimerosal-mercury toxicity with regard to endocrine system. Our results indicate that higher dose of neonatal thimerosal-mercury (20× higher than that used in human) is capable of inducing long-lasting substantial dysregulation of neurodevelopment, synaptic function, and endocrine system, which could be the causal involvements of autistic-like behavior in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Steeb H, Ramsey JM, Guest PC, Stocki P, Cooper JD, Rahmoune H, Ingudomnukul E, Auyeung B, Ruta L, Baron-Cohen S, Bahn S. Serum proteomic analysis identifies sex-specific differences in lipid metabolism and inflammation profiles in adults diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Mol Autism 2014; 5:4. [PMID: 24467795 PMCID: PMC3905921 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The higher prevalence of Asperger Syndrome (AS) and other autism spectrum conditions in males has been known for many years. However, recent multiplex immunoassay profiling studies have shown that males and females with AS have distinct proteomic changes in serum. Methods Here, we analysed sera from adults diagnosed with AS (males = 14, females = 16) and controls (males = 13, females = 16) not on medication at the time of sample collection, using a combination of multiplex immunoassay and shotgun label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MSE). The main objective was to identify sex-specific serum protein changes associated with AS. Results Multiplex immunoassay profiling led to identification of 16 proteins that were significantly altered in AS individuals in a sex-specific manner. Three of these proteins were altered in females (ADIPO, IgA, APOA1), seven were changed in males (BMP6, CTGF, ICAM1, IL-12p70, IL-16, TF, TNF-alpha) and six were changed in both sexes but in opposite directions (CHGA, EPO, IL-3, TENA, PAP, SHBG). Shotgun LC-MSE profiling led to identification of 13 serum proteins which had significant sex-specific changes in the AS group and, of these, 12 were altered in females (APOC2, APOE, ARMC3, CLC4K, FETUB, GLCE, MRRP1, PTPA, RN149, TLE1, TRIPB, ZC3HE) and one protein was altered in males (RGPD4). The free androgen index in females with AS showed an increased ratio of 1.63 compared to controls. Conclusion Taken together, the serum multiplex immunoassay and shotgun LC-MSE profiling results indicate that adult females with AS had alterations in proteins involved mostly in lipid transport and metabolism pathways, while adult males with AS showed changes predominantly in inflammation signalling. These results provide further evidence that the search for biomarkers or novel drug targets in AS may require stratification into male and female subgroups, and could lead to the development of novel targeted treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sabine Bahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK.
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Provenzano G, Clementi E, Genovesi S, Scali M, Tripathi PP, Sgadò P, Bozzi Y. GH Dysfunction in Engrailed-2 Knockout Mice, a Model for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Pediatr 2014; 2:92. [PMID: 25225635 PMCID: PMC4150208 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2014.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling promotes brain development and plasticity. Altered IGF-1 expression has been associated to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). IGF-1 levels were found increased in the blood and decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of ASD children. Accordingly, IGF-1 treatment can rescue behavioral deficits in mouse models of ASD, and IGF-1 trials have been proposed for ASD children. IGF-1 is mainly synthesized in the liver, and its synthesis is dependent on growth hormone (GH) produced in the pituitary gland. GH also modulates cognitive functions, and altered levels of GH have been detected in ASD patients. Here, we analyzed the expression of GH, IGF-1, their receptors, and regulatory hormones in the neuroendocrine system of adult male mice lacking the homeobox transcription factor Engrailed-2 (En2 (-/-) mice). En2 (-/-) mice display ASD-like behaviors (social interactions, defective spatial learning, increased seizure susceptibility) accompanied by relevant neuropathological changes (loss of cerebellar and forebrain inhibitory neurons). Recent studies showed that En2 modulates IGF-1 activity during postnatal cerebellar development. We found that GH mRNA expression was markedly deregulated throughout the neuroendocrine axis in En2 (-/-) mice, as compared to wild-type controls. In mutant mice, GH mRNA levels were significantly increased in the pituitary gland, blood, and liver, whereas decreased levels were detected in the hippocampus. These changes were paralleled by decreased levels of GH protein in the hippocampus but not other tissues of En2 (-/-) mice. IGF-1 mRNA was significantly up-regulated in the liver and down-regulated in the En2 (-/-) hippocampus, but no differences were detected in the levels of IGF-1 protein between the two genotypes. Our data strengthen the notion that altered GH levels in the hippocampus may be involved in learning disabilities associated to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Provenzano
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento , Italy
| | - Elena Clementi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento , Italy
| | - Sacha Genovesi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento , Italy
| | - Manuela Scali
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) , Pisa , Italy ; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore , Pisa , Italy
| | - Prem Prakash Tripathi
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) , Pisa , Italy ; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore , Pisa , Italy
| | - Paola Sgadò
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento , Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento , Italy ; Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) , Pisa , Italy
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Kuwabara H, Yamasue H, Koike S, Inoue H, Kawakubo Y, Kuroda M, Takano Y, Iwashiro N, Natsubori T, Aoki Y, Kano Y, Kasai K. Altered metabolites in the plasma of autism spectrum disorder: a capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectroscopy study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73814. [PMID: 24058493 PMCID: PMC3776798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical diagnosis and severity of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are determined by trained clinicians based on clinical evaluations of observed behaviors. As such, this approach is inevitably dependent on the expertise and subjective assessment of those administering the clinical evaluations. There is a need to identify objective biological markers associated with diagnosis or clinical severity of the disorder. To identify novel candidate metabolites as potential biomarkers for ASD, the current study applied capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (CE-TOFMS) for high-throughput profiling of metabolite levels in the plasma of 25 psychotropic-naïve adult males with high-functioning ASD and 28 age-matched typically-developed control subjects. Ten ASD participants and ten age-matched controls were assigned in the first exploration set, while 15 ASD participants and 18 controls were included in the second replication set. By CE-TOFMS analysis, a total of 143 metabolites were detected in the plasma of the first set. Of these, 17 metabolites showed significantly different relative areas between the ASD participants and the controls (p<0.05). Of the 17 metabolites, we consistently found that the ASD participants had significantly high plasma levels of arginine (p = 0.024) and taurine (p = 0.018), and significantly low levels of 5-oxoproline (p<0.001) and lactic acid (p = 0.031) compared with the controls in the second sample set. Further confirmatory analysis using quantification of absolute metabolite concentrations supported the robustness of high arginine (p = 0.001) and low lactic acid (p = 0.003) in the combined sample (n = 53). The present study identified deviated plasma metabolite levels associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Kuwabara
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Office for Mental Health Support, Division for Counseling and Support, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Inoue
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Kawakubo
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miho Kuroda
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Integrated Human and Social Welfare, Shukutoku University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yosuke Takano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norichika Iwashiro
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsunobu Natsubori
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Aoki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kano
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Kuijper E, Ket J, Caanen M, Lambalk C. Reproductive hormone concentrations in pregnancy and neonates: a systematic review. Reprod Biomed Online 2013; 27:33-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2013.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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