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Calinsky R, Levy Y. A pH-Dependent Coarse-Grained Model for Disordered Proteins: Histidine Interactions Modulate Conformational Ensembles. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:9419-9430. [PMID: 39248414 PMCID: PMC11417990 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c02314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Histidine (His) presents a unique challenge for modeling disordered protein conformations, as it is versatile and occurs in both the neutral (His0) and positively charged (His+) states. These His charge states, which are enabled by its imidazole side chain, influence the electrostatic and short-range interactions of His residues, which potentially engage in cation-π, π-π, and charge-charge interactions. Existing coarse-grained (CG) models often simplify His representation by assigning it an average charge, thereby neglecting these potential short-range interactions. To address this gap, we developed a model for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that accounts for the properties of histidine (H). The resulting IDPH model is a 21-amino acid CG model incorporating both His charge states. We show that interactions involving previously neglected His0 are critical for accurate modeling at high pH, where they significantly influence the compaction of His-rich IDPs such as Histatin-5 and CPEB4. These interactions contribute to structural stabilizations primarily via His0-His0 and His0-Arg interactions, which are overlooked in models focusing solely on the charged His+ state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rivka Calinsky
- Department of Chemical and
Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of
Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yaakov Levy
- Department of Chemical and
Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of
Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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2
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Al-Beltagi M, Saeed NK, Bediwy AS, Bediwy EA, Elbeltagi R. Decoding the genetic landscape of autism: A comprehensive review. World J Clin Pediatr 2024; 13:98468. [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v13.i3.98468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by heterogeneous symptoms and genetic underpinnings. Recent advancements in genetic and epigenetic research have provided insights into the intricate mechanisms contributing to ASD, influencing both diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.
AIM To explore the genetic architecture of ASD, elucidate mechanistic insights into genetic mutations, and examine gene-environment interactions.
METHODS A comprehensive systematic review was conducted, integrating findings from studies on genetic variations, epigenetic mechanisms (such as DNA methylation and histone modifications), and emerging technologies [including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 and single-cell RNA sequencing]. Relevant articles were identified through systematic searches of databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar.
RESULTS Genetic studies have identified numerous risk genes and mutations associated with ASD, yet many cases remain unexplained by known factors, suggesting undiscovered genetic components. Mechanistic insights into how these genetic mutations impact neural development and brain connectivity are still evolving. Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs, also play significant roles in ASD pathogenesis. Emerging technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 and advanced bioinformatics are advancing our understanding by enabling precise genetic editing and analysis of complex genomic data.
CONCLUSION Continued research into the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of ASD is crucial for developing personalized and effective treatments. Collaborative efforts integrating multidisciplinary expertise and international collaborations are essential to address the complexity of ASD and translate genetic discoveries into clinical practice. Addressing unresolved questions and ethical considerations surrounding genetic research will pave the way for improved diagnostic tools and targeted therapies, ultimately enhancing outcomes for individuals affected by ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Al-Beltagi
- Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Alghrabia, Tanta 31511, Egypt
- Department of Pediatric, University Medical Center, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Bahrain
| | - Nermin Kamal Saeed
- Medical Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain, Manama 12, Bahrain
- Medical Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Irish Royal College of Surgeon, Muharraq, Busaiteen 15503, Bahrain
| | - Adel Salah Bediwy
- Department of Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Alghrabia, Tanta 31527, Egypt
- Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 26671, Bahrain
| | - Eman A Bediwy
- Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Algharbia, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Reem Elbeltagi
- Department of Medicine, The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Bahrain, Muharraq, Busiateen 15503, Bahrain
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3
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Martins PLB, Torquato GCP, Dias GAPF, Leite IB, Gaspar TM, Pinto JP, Macedo DS. Effectiveness of pharmacological interventions for managing ADHD symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111089. [PMID: 39004333 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review sought to provide evidence for the effectiveness of common pharmacological interventions used for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population, considering studies attempting to find safe and effective drugs. METHODS We searched for randomized controlled trials describing the effectiveness and/or safety profile of pharmacological interventions for treating ASD and ADHD or ASD with ADHD symptoms using three bibliographic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase. We have chosen ADHD symptoms measured by any clinical scale as the primary outcome. As additional outcomes, we have used other symptoms of aberrant behavior measured by the aberrant behavior checklist, satisfaction with treatment, and peer satisfaction. RESULTS Twenty-two publications met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and eight for the meta-analysis. In our investigation, we found a few articles using clonidine, modafinil, and bupropion as interventions when compared to methylphenidate (MPH). Our meta-analysis showed that MPH had positive changes compared to placebo in symptoms such as hyperactivity, irritability, or inattention. However, no effect was found in stereotyped symptoms, and our data's quantitative analysis revealed a large effect of MPH-induced adverse effects on the dropout rate. On the other hand, atomoxetine initiation had positive effects when compared to placebo on symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention. We have found no effect of atomoxetine on stereotypes or irritability. Furthermore, atomoxetine did not influence side effects that caused dropouts from studies. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that atomoxetine has a modest effect on hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, with a relatively benign profile of side effects. MPH appears to be effective in handling hyperactivity, inattention, and irritability symptoms. However, our results on atomoxetine revealed increased dropouts due to adverse effects when compared to MPH or placebo. Evidence for other substances such as guanfacine, clonidine, bupropion, or modafinil is either preliminary or nonexistent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gabriel Alberto Pinheiro Fernandes Dias
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropsychopharmacology and Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Isabel Bessa Leite
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropsychopharmacology and Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Thays Macedo Gaspar
- Health Sciences Center, Fortaleza University (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Joel Porfírio Pinto
- Health Sciences Center, Fortaleza University (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Danielle S Macedo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropsychopharmacology and Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
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4
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Zhang H, Peng D, Tang S, Bi A, Long Y. Aberrant Flexibility of Dynamic Brain Network in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:882. [PMID: 39329624 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11090882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 08/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders whose pathobiology remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the possible neural mechanisms underlying ASD using a dynamic brain network model and a relatively large-sample, multi-site dataset. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 208 ASD patients and 227 typical development (TD) controls, who were drawn from the multi-site Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database. Brain network flexibilities were estimated and compared between the ASD and TD groups at both global and local levels, after adjusting for sex, age, head motion, and site effects. The results revealed significantly increased brain network flexibilities (indicating a decreased stability) at the global level, as well as at the local level within the default mode and sensorimotor areas in ASD patients than TD participants. Additionally, significant ASD-related decreases in flexibilities were also observed in several occipital regions at the nodal level. Most of these changes were significantly correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) total score in the entire sample. These results suggested that ASD is characterized by significant changes in temporal stabilities of the functional brain network, which can further strengthen our understanding of the pathobiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- The Department of Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Dehong Peng
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Shixiong Tang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Anyao Bi
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yicheng Long
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
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Yang D, Svoboda AM, George TG, Mansfield PK, Wheelock MD, Schroeder ML, Rafferty SM, Sherafati A, Tripathy K, Burns-Yocum T, Forsen E, Pruett JR, Marrus NM, Culver JP, Constantino JN, Eggebrecht AT. Mapping neural correlates of biological motion perception in autistic children using high-density diffuse optical tomography. Mol Autism 2024; 15:35. [PMID: 39175054 PMCID: PMC11342641 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00614-4] [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: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by social communication deficits plus repetitive behaviors and restricted interests, currently affects 1/36 children in the general population. Recent advances in functional brain imaging show promise to provide useful biomarkers of ASD diagnostic likelihood, behavioral trait severity, and even response to therapeutic intervention. However, current gold-standard neuroimaging methods (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI) are limited in naturalistic studies of brain function underlying ASD-associated behaviors due to the constrained imaging environment. Compared to fMRI, high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT), a non-invasive and minimally constraining optical neuroimaging modality, can overcome these limitations. Herein, we aimed to establish HD-DOT to evaluate brain function in autistic and non-autistic school-age children as they performed a biological motion perception task previously shown to yield results related to both ASD diagnosis and behavioral traits. METHODS We used HD-DOT to image brain function in 46 ASD school-age participants and 49 non-autistic individuals (NAI) as they viewed dynamic point-light displays of coherent biological and scrambled motion. We assessed group-level cortical brain function with statistical parametric mapping. Additionally, we tested for brain-behavior associations with dimensional metrics of autism traits, as measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale-2, with hierarchical regression models. RESULTS We found that NAI participants presented stronger brain activity contrast (coherent > scrambled) than ASD children in cortical regions related to visual, motor, and social processing. Additionally, regression models revealed multiple cortical regions in autistic participants where brain function is significantly associated with dimensional measures of ASD traits. LIMITATIONS Optical imaging methods are limited in depth sensitivity and so cannot measure brain activity within deep subcortical regions. However, the field of view of this HD-DOT system includes multiple brain regions previously implicated in both task-based and task-free studies on autism. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that HD-DOT is sensitive to brain function that both differentiates between NAI and ASD groups and correlates with dimensional measures of ASD traits. These findings establish HD-DOT as an effective tool for investigating brain function in autistic and non-autistic children. Moreover, this study established neural correlates related to biological motion perception and its association with dimensional measures of ASD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalin Yang
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Alexandra M Svoboda
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tessa G George
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Patricia K Mansfield
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Medical Education, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Mariel L Schroeder
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IL, 47907, USA
| | - Sean M Rafferty
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Arefeh Sherafati
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Physics, Washington University School of Arts and Science, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Kalyan Tripathy
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Tracy Burns-Yocum
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Evolytics, Parkville, MO, 64152, USA
| | - Elizabeth Forsen
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Natasha M Marrus
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Joseph P Culver
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Physics, Washington University School of Arts and Science, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Department of Electrical and System Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63112, USA
- Department Imaging Sciences Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63112, USA
| | - John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Division of Behavioral and Mental Health, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Adam T Eggebrecht
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Physics, Washington University School of Arts and Science, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
- Department of Electrical and System Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63112, USA.
- Department Imaging Sciences Engineering, Washington University School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, 63112, USA.
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Steele JW, Krishnan V, Finnell RH. Mechanisms of neurodevelopmental toxicity of topiramate. Crit Rev Toxicol 2024; 54:465-475. [PMID: 38995641 PMCID: PMC11296906 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2024.2368552] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Prescriptions for antiseizure medications (ASMs) have been rapidly growing over the last several decades due, in part, to an expanding list of clinical indications for which they are now prescribed. This trend has raised concern for potential adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in ASM-exposed pregnancies. Recent large scale population studies have suggested that the use of topiramate (TOPAMAX, Janssen-Cilag), when prescribed for seizure control, migraines, and/or weight management, is associated with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in exposed offspring. Here, we critically review epidemiologic evidence demonstrating the neurobehavioral teratogenicity of topiramate and speculate on the neuromolecular mechanisms by which prenatal exposure may perturb neurocognitive development. Specifically, we explore the potential role of topiramate's pharmacological interactions with ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels, especially GABAergic signaling, its effects on DNA methylation and histone acetylation, whether topiramate induces oxidative stress, and its association with fetal growth restriction as possible mechanisms contributing to neurodevelopmental toxicity. Resolving this biology will be necessary to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by topiramate or other ASMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Steele
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vaishnav Krishnan
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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7
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Gevezova M, Ivanov Z, Pacheva I, Timova E, Kazakova M, Kovacheva E, Ivanov I, Sarafian V. Bioenergetic and Inflammatory Alterations in Regressed and Non-Regressed Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8211. [PMID: 39125780 PMCID: PMC11311370 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158211] [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: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with multiple physiological abnormalities. Current laboratory and clinical evidence most commonly report mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and immunological imbalance in almost every cell type of the body. The present work aims to evaluate oxygen consumption rate (OCR), extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), and inflammation-related molecules such as Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), chitinase 3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin-9 (IL-9) in ASD children with and without regression compared to healthy controls. Children with ASD (n = 56) and typically developing children (TDC, n = 12) aged 1.11 to 11 years were studied. Mitochondrial activity was examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from children with ASD and from the control group, using a metabolic analyzer. Gene and protein levels of IL-1β, IL-9, COX-2, and YKL-40 were investigated in parallel. Our results showed that PBMCs of the ASD subgroup of regressed patients (ASD R(+), n = 21) had a specific pattern of mitochondrial activity with significantly increased maximal respiration, respiratory spare capacity, and proton leak compared to the non-regressed group (ASD R(-), n = 35) and TDC. Furthermore, we found an imbalance in the studied proinflammatory molecules and increased levels in ASD R(-) proving the involvement of inflammatory changes. The results of this study provide new evidence for specific bioenergetic profiles of immune cells and elevated inflammation-related molecules in ASD. For the first time, data on a unique metabolic profile in ASD R(+) and its comparison with a random group of children of similar age and sex are provided. Our data show that mitochondrial dysfunction is more significant in ASD R(+), while in ASD R(-) inflammation is more pronounced. Probably, in the group without regression, immune mechanisms (immune dysregulation, leading to inflammation) begin initially, and at a later stage mitochondrial activity is also affected under exogenous factors. On the other hand, in the regressed group, the initial damage is in the mitochondria, and perhaps at a later stage immune dysfunction is involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gevezova
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.G.); (Z.I.); (M.K.); (E.K.)
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Zdravko Ivanov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.G.); (Z.I.); (M.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Iliana Pacheva
- Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (I.P.); (I.I.)
- Pediatrics Clinic, St. George University Hospital, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Elena Timova
- Pediatrics Clinic, St. George University Hospital, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Maria Kazakova
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.G.); (Z.I.); (M.K.); (E.K.)
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Eleonora Kovacheva
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.G.); (Z.I.); (M.K.); (E.K.)
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Ivan Ivanov
- Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (I.P.); (I.I.)
- Pediatrics Clinic, St. George University Hospital, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Victoria Sarafian
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (M.G.); (Z.I.); (M.K.); (E.K.)
- Research Institute at MU-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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8
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Yu Y, Yang X, Hu G, Tong K, Wu J, Yu R. Risk cycling in diabetes and autism spectrum disorder: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1389947. [PMID: 39157677 PMCID: PMC11328693 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1389947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective The relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains controversial. This study aimed to analyze the causal relationship between different types of DM and ASD by bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and ASD were obtained from genome-wide association studies. Subsequently, inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median were used to test the exposure-outcome causality. Finally, MR-Egger's intercept, Cochran's Q, and leave-one-out method were used to assess horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and sensitivity of the results, respectively. Results The positive analysis showed that T2DM was associated with an increased risk of ASD, whereas neither T1DM nor GDM was associated with the risk of ASD. The reverse analysis showed that ASD was associated with an increased risk of T2DM, while it was not associated with the risk of either T1DM or GDM. MR-Egger intercept showed no horizontal pleiotropy (p > 0.05) for these results. Cochran's Q showed no heterogeneity expect for the results of T1DM on the risk of ASD, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis showed these results were robust. Conclusion This MR analysis suggests that T2DM and ASD are reciprocal risk factors and that they may create an intergenerational risk cycling in female patients. Aggressive prevention and treatment of T2DM and ASD help to break the trap of this risk cycling. Additionally, this study does not support a causal relationship between T1DM and ASD, as well as GDM and ASD. And more studies are needed in the future to continue to explore the interactions and underlying mechanisms between different types of DM and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfeng Yu
- The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Gang Hu
- The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Keke Tong
- The Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changde, Hunan, China
| | - Jingyi Wu
- The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rong Yu
- The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
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9
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Cuervo Sánchez ML, Prado Spalm FH, Furland NE, Vallés AS. Pregestational fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in Wistar rats causes sexually dimorphic behavioral changes in their offspring. Dev Neurobiol 2024; 84:142-157. [PMID: 38664979 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22940] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MetS), marked by enduring metabolic inflammation, has detrimental effects on cognitive performance and brain structure, influencing behavior. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal MetS could negatively impact the neurodevelopment and metabolism of offspring. To test this hypothesis, 2 months old female Wistar rats were subjected to a 10-week regimen of tap water alone or supplemented with 20% fructose to induce MetS. Dams were mated with healthy males to generate litters: OC (offspring from control dams) and OMetS (offspring from dams with MetS). To isolate prenatal effects, all pups were breastfed by control nurse dams, maintaining a standard diet and water ad libitum until weaning. Behavioral assessments were conducted between postnatal days (PN) 22 and 95, and metabolic parameters were analyzed post-sacrifice on PN100. Results from the elevated plus maze, the open field, and the marble burying tests revealed a heightened anxiety-like phenotype in OMetS females. The novel object recognition test showed that exclusively OMetS males had long-term memory impairment. In the reciprocal social interaction test, OMetS displayed a lower number of social interactions, with a notable increase in "socially inactive" behavior observed exclusively in females. Additionally, in the three-chamber test, social preference and social novelty indexes were found to be lower solely among OMetS females. An increase in visceral fat concomitantly with hypertriglyceridemia was the relevant postmortem metabolic finding in OMetS females. In summary, maternal MetS leads to enduring damage and adverse effects on offspring neurobehavior and metabolism, with notable sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marié L Cuervo Sánchez
- Nutrition and Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, INIBIBB-CONICET-UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Facundo H Prado Spalm
- Nutrition and Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, INIBIBB-CONICET-UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Natalia E Furland
- Nutrition and Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, INIBIBB-CONICET-UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Ana S Vallés
- Nutrition and Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, INIBIBB-CONICET-UNS, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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10
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Mehra S, Ahsan AU, Sharma M, Budhwar M, Chopra M. Gestational Fisetin Exerts Neuroprotection by Regulating Mitochondria-Directed Canonical Wnt Signaling, BBB Integrity, and Apoptosis in Prenatal VPA-Induced Rodent Model of Autism. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:4001-4020. [PMID: 38048031 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03826-6] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic valproic acid (VPA) has been considered a potential risk factor for autism. Majority of studies indicated that targeting autism-associated alterations in VPA-induced autistic model could be promising in defining and designing therapeutics for autism. Numerous investigations in this field investigated the role of canonical Wnt signaling cascade in regulating the pathophysiology of autism. The impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and mitochondrial dysfunction are some key implied features of the autistic brain. So, the current study was conducted to target canonical Wnt signaling pathway with a natural polyphenolic modulator cum antioxidant namely fisetin. A single dose of intraperitoneal VPA sodium salt (400 mg/kg) at gestational day 12.5 induced developmental delays, social behaviour impairments (tube dominance test), and anxiety-like behaviour (sucrose preference test) similar to autism. VPA induced mitochondrial damage and over-activated the canonical Wnt signaling which further increased the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, apoptosis, and neuronal damage. Our findings revealed that oral administration of 10 mg/kg gestational fisetin (GD 13-till parturition) improved social and anxiety-like behaviour by modulating the ROS-regulated mitochondrial-canonical Wnt signaling. Moreover, fisetin controls BBB permeability, apoptosis, and neuronal damage in autism model proving its neuroprotective efficacy. Collectively, our findings revealed that fisetin-evoked modulation of the Wnt signaling cascade successfully relieved the associated symptoms of autism along with developmental delays in the model and indicates its potential as a bioceutical against autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweety Mehra
- Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Aitizaz Ul Ahsan
- Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Madhu Sharma
- Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Muskan Budhwar
- Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Mani Chopra
- Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
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11
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He C, Zhou H, Chen L, Liu Z. NEAT1 Promotes Valproic Acid-Induced Autism Spectrum Disorder by Recruiting YY1 to Regulate UBE3A Transcription. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04309-y. [PMID: 38922486 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04309-y] [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: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in autism. Herein, we explored the functional role and possible molecular mechanisms of NEAT1 in valproic acid (VPA)-induced autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A VPA-induced ASD rat model was constructed, and a series of behavioral tests were performed to examine motor coordination and learning-memory abilities. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were used to evaluate target gene expression levels. Loss-and-gain-of-function assays were conducted to explore the functional role of NEAT1 in ASD development. Furthermore, a combination of mechanistic experiments and bioinformatic tools was used to assess the relationship and regulatory role of the NEAT1-YY1-UBE3A axis in ASD cellular processes. Results showed that VPA exposure induced autism-like developmental delays and behavioral abnormalities in the VPA-induced ASD rat model. We found that NEAT1 was elevated in rat hippocampal tissues after VPA exposure. NEAT1 promoted VPA-induced autism-like behaviors and mitigated apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in VPA-induced ASD rats. Notably, NEAT1 knockdown improved autism-related behaviors and ameliorated hippocampal neuronal damage. Mechanistically, it was observed that NEAT1 recruited the transcription factor YY1 to regulate UBE3A expression. Additionally, in vitro experiments further confirmed that NEAT1 knockdown mitigated hippocampal neuronal damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation through the YY1/UBE3A axis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that NEAT1 is highly expressed in ASD, and its inhibition prominently suppresses hippocampal neuronal injury and oxidative stress through the YY1/UBE3A axis, thereby alleviating ASD development. This provides a new direction for ASD-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuping He
- Department of Children's Health, Chenzhou First People's Hospital, No. 6, Feihong Road, Suxian District, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, China
| | - Huimei Zhou
- Department of Children's Health, Chenzhou First People's Hospital, No. 6, Feihong Road, Suxian District, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, China.
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Children's Health, Chenzhou First People's Hospital, No. 6, Feihong Road, Suxian District, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, China
| | - Zeying Liu
- Department of Children's Health, Chenzhou First People's Hospital, No. 6, Feihong Road, Suxian District, Chenzhou, 423000, Hunan, China
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12
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Fard YA, Sadeghi EN, Pajoohesh Z, Gharehdaghi Z, Khatibi DM, Khosravifar S, Pishkari Y, Nozari S, Hijazi A, Pakmehr S, Shayan SK. Epigenetic underpinnings of the autistic mind: Histone modifications and prefrontal excitation/inhibition imbalance. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2024:e32986. [PMID: 38837296 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex neurobehavioral condition influenced by several cellular and molecular mechanisms that are often concerned with synaptogenesis and synaptic activity. Based on the excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance theory, ASD could be the result of disruption in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission across the brain. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the chief regulator of executive function and can be affected by altered neuronal excitation and inhibition in the course of ASD. The molecular mechanisms involved in E/I imbalance are subject to epigenetic regulation. In ASD, altered enrichment and spreading of histone H3 and H4 modifications such as the activation-linked H3K4me2/3, H3K9ac, and H3K27ac, and repression-linked H3K9me2, H3K27me3, and H4K20me2 in the PFC result in dysregulation of molecules mediating synaptic excitation (ARC, EGR1, mGluR2, mGluR3, GluN2A, and GluN2B) and synaptic inhibition (BSN, EphA7, SLC6A1). Histone modifications are a dynamic component of the epigenetic regulatory elements with a pronounced effect on patterns of gene expression with regards to any biological process. The excitation/inhibition imbalance associated with ASD is based on the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity in different regions of the brain, including the PFC, the ultimate outcome of which is highly influenced by transcriptional activity of relevant genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zohreh Pajoohesh
- Faculty of Medicine, Zabol Univeristy of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Zahra Gharehdaghi
- Department of Pharmacology, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | | | | | - Yasamin Pishkari
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shadi Nozari
- School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmed Hijazi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Sepideh Karkon Shayan
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
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13
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Li Y, Xiao P, Cao R, Le J, Xu Q, Xiao F, Ye L, Wang X, Wang Y, Zhang T. Effects and microbiota changes following oral lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1369823. [PMID: 38783921 PMCID: PMC11112010 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1369823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders that is characterized by core features in social communication impairment and restricted, repetitive sensory-motor behaviors. This study aimed to further investigate the utilization of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in children with ASD, both with and without gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, evaluate the effect of FMT and analyze the alterations in bacterial and fungal composition within the gut microbiota. Methods A total of 38 children diagnosed with ASD participated in the study and underwent oral lyophilized FMT treatment. The dosage of the FMT treatment was determined based on a ratio of 1 g of donor stool per 1 kg of recipient body weight, with a frequency of once every 4 weeks for a total of 12 weeks. In addition, 30 healthy controls (HC) were included in the analysis. The clinical efficacy of FMT was evaluated, while the composition of fecal bacteria and fungi was determined using 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing methods. Results Median age of the 38 children with ASD was 7 years. Among these children, 84.2% (32 of 38) were boys and 81.6% (31 of 38) exhibited GI symptoms, with indigestion, constipation and diarrhea being the most common symptoms. Sample collections and assessments were conducted at baseline (week 0), post-treatment (week 12) and follow-up (week 20). At the end of the follow-up phase after FMT treatment, the autism behavior checklist (ABC) scores decreased by 23% from baseline, and there was a 10% reduction in scores on the childhood autism rating scale (CARS), a 6% reduction in scores on the social responsiveness scale (SRS) and a 10% reduction in scores on the sleep disturbance scale for children (SDSC). In addition, short-term adverse events observed included vomiting and fever in 2 participants, which were self-limiting and resolved within 24 h, and no long-term adverse events were observed. Although there was no significant difference in alpha and beta diversity in children with ASD before and after FMT therapy, the FMT treatment resulted in alterations in the relative abundances of various bacterial and fungal genera in the samples of ASD patients. Comparisons between children with ASD and healthy controls (HC) revealed statistically significant differences in microbial abundance before and after FMT. Blautia, Sellimonas, Saccharomycopsis and Cystobasidium were more abundant in children with ASD than in HC, while Dorea were less abundant. After FMT treatment, levels of Blautia, Sellimonas, Saccharomycopsis and Cystobasidium decreased, while levels of Dorea increased. Moreover, the increased abundances of Fusicatenibacter, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003, Saccharomyces, Rhodotorula, Cutaneotrichosporon and Zygosaccharomyces were negatively correlated with the scores of ASD core symptoms. Conclusions Oral lyophilized FMT could improve GI and ASD related symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances, and alter the gut bacterial and fungal microbiota composition in children with ASD. Clinical Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200055943. Registered 28 January 2022, www.chictr.org.cn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youran Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Le
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiao Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangfei Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xufei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yizhong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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14
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Zhang Y, Ahsan MU, Wang K. Noncoding de novo mutations in SCN2A are associated with autism spectrum disorders. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.05.24306908. [PMID: 38766206 PMCID: PMC11100849 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.05.24306908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Coding de novo mutations (DNMs) contribute to the risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but the contribution of noncoding DNMs remains relatively unexplored. Here we use whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of 12,411 individuals (including 3,508 probands and 2,218 unaffected siblings) from 3,357 families collected in Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) to detect DNMs associated with ASD, while examining Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) with 6383 individuals from 2274 families to replicate the results. For coding DNMs, SCN2A reached exome-wide significance (p=2.06×10-11) in SPARK. The 618 known dominant ASD genes as a group are strongly enriched for coding DNMs in cases than sibling controls (fold change=1.51, p =1.13×10-5 for SPARK; fold change=1.86, p =2.06×10-9 for SSC). For noncoding DNMs, we used two methods to assess statistical significance: a point-based test that analyzes sites with a Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) score ≥15, and a segment-based test that analyzes 1kb genomic segments with segment-specific background mutation rates (inferred from expected rare mutations in Gnocchi genome constraint scores). The point-based test identified SCN2A as marginally significant (p=6.12×10-4) in SPARK, yet segment-based test identified CSMD1, RBFOX1 and CHD13 as exome-wide significant. We did not identify significant enrichment of noncoding DNMs (in all 1kb segments or those with Gnocchi>4) in the 618 known ASD genes as a group in cases than sibling controls. When combining evidence from both coding and noncoding DNMs, we found that SCN2A with 11 coding and 5 noncoding DNMs exhibited the strongest significance (p=4.15×10-13). In summary, we identified both coding and noncoding DNMs in SCN2A associated with ASD, while nominating additional candidates for further examination in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mian Umair Ahsan
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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15
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Illescas S, Diaz-Osorio Y, Serradell A, Toro-Soria L, Musokhranova U, Juliá-Palacios N, Ribeiro-Constante J, Altafaj X, Olivella M, O'Callaghan M, Darling A, Armstrong J, Artuch R, García-Cazorla À, Oyarzábal A. Metabolic characterization of neurogenetic disorders involving glutamatergic neurotransmission. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024; 47:551-569. [PMID: 37932875 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
The study of inborn errors of neurotransmission has been mostly focused on monoamine disorders, GABAergic and glycinergic defects. The study of the glutamatergic synapse using the same approach than classic neurotransmitter disorders is challenging due to the lack of biomarkers in the CSF. A metabolomic approach can provide both insight into their molecular basis and outline novel therapeutic alternatives. We have performed a semi-targeted metabolomic analysis on CSF samples from 25 patients with neurogenetic disorders with an important expression in the glutamatergic synapse and 5 controls. Samples from patients diagnosed with MCP2, CDKL5-, GRINpathies and STXBP1-related encephalopathies were included. We have performed univariate (UVA) and multivariate statistical analysis (MVA), using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, principal component analysis (PCA), and OPLS-DA. By using the results of both analyses, we have identified the metabolites that were significantly altered and that were important in clustering the respective groups. On these, we performed pathway- and network-based analyses to define which metabolic pathways were possibly altered in each pathology. We have observed alterations in the tryptophan and branched-chain amino acid metabolism pathways, which interestingly converge on LAT1 transporter-dependency to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Analysis of the expression of LAT1 transporter in brain samples from a mouse model of Rett syndrome (MECP2) revealed a decrease in the transporter expression, that was already noticeable at pre-symptomatic stages. The study of the glutamatergic synapse from this perspective advances the understanding of their pathophysiology, shining light on an understudied feature as is their metabolic signature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Illescas
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaiza Diaz-Osorio
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Serradell
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucía Toro-Soria
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Uliana Musokhranova
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Juliá-Palacios
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juliana Ribeiro-Constante
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Altafaj
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Olivella
- School of International Studies, ESCI-UPF, Barcelona, Spain
- Bioinformatics and Bioimaging Group, Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Vic, Spain
| | - Mar O'Callaghan
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERER-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandra Darling
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Armstrong
- CIBERER-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Artuch
- CIBERER-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Clinical Biochemistry Department, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Àngels García-Cazorla
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERER-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfonso Oyarzábal
- Synaptic Metabolism and Personalized Therapies Lab, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology and MetabERN, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurometabolic Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Department of Neurology, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERER-Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
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Pazzin DB, Previato TTR, Budelon Gonçalves JI, Zanirati G, Xavier FAC, da Costa JC, Marinowic DR. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Organoids in Advancing Neuropathology Research and Therapies. Cells 2024; 13:745. [PMID: 38727281 PMCID: PMC11083827 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This review delves into the groundbreaking impact of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and three-dimensional organoid models in propelling forward neuropathology research. With a focus on neurodegenerative diseases, neuromotor disorders, and related conditions, iPSCs provide a platform for personalized disease modeling, holding significant potential for regenerative therapy and drug discovery. The adaptability of iPSCs, along with associated methodologies, enables the generation of various types of neural cell differentiations and their integration into three-dimensional organoid models, effectively replicating complex tissue structures in vitro. Key advancements in organoid and iPSC generation protocols, alongside the careful selection of donor cell types, are emphasized as critical steps in harnessing these technologies to mitigate tumorigenic risks and other hurdles. Encouragingly, iPSCs show promising outcomes in regenerative therapies, as evidenced by their successful application in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Bottega Pazzin
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
- Graduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Thales Thor Ramos Previato
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90619-900, Brazil
| | - João Ismael Budelon Gonçalves
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
| | - Gabriele Zanirati
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
| | - Fernando Antonio Costa Xavier
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
| | - Jaderson Costa da Costa
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
| | - Daniel Rodrigo Marinowic
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil; (D.B.P.); (T.T.R.P.); (J.I.B.G.); (G.Z.); (F.A.C.X.); (J.C.d.C.)
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17
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Rushendran R, Begum RF, Singh S A, Narayanan PL, Vellapandian C, Prajapati BG, Paul PK. Navigating neurological disorders: harnessing the power of natural compounds for innovative therapeutic breakthroughs. EXCLI JOURNAL 2024; 23:534-569. [PMID: 38741726 PMCID: PMC11089094 DOI: 10.17179/excli2024-7051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Novel treatments are needed as neurological issues become more frequent worldwide. According to the report, plants, oceans, microorganisms, and animals contain interesting drug discovery compounds. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke reviews emphasize neurological disorders' complexity and natural substances' safety. Learn about marine-derived and herbal substances' neuroprotective characteristics and applications. Molecular pathways show these substances' neurological healing effects. This article discusses clinical usage of Bryostatin-1, Fucoidan, Icariin, Salvianolic acid, Curcumin, Resveratrol, etc. Their potential benefits for asthma and Alzheimer's disease are complex. Although limited, the study promotes rigorous scientific research and collaboration between traditional and alternative medical practitioners. Unexplored natural compounds, quality control, well-structured clinical trials, and interdisciplinary collaboration should guide future study. Developing and employing natural chemicals to treat neurological illnesses requires ethical sourcing, sustainability, and public awareness. This detailed analysis covers natural chemicals' current state, challenges, and opportunities in neurological disorder treatment. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rapuru Rushendran
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur- 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rukaiah Fatma Begum
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur- 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ankul Singh S
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur- 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Pavithra Lakshmi Narayanan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur- 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chitra Vellapandian
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur- 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Bhupendra G. Prajapati
- Shree S. K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ganpat University, Kherva, 384012, Gujarat, India
| | - Pijush Kumar Paul
- Department of Pharmacy, Gono Bishwabidyalay University, Mirzanagar, Savar, Dhaka-1344, Bangladesh
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Okabe M, Sato T, Takahashi M, Honjo A, Okawa M, Ishida M, Kukimoto-Niino M, Shirouzu M, Miyamoto Y, Yamauchi J. Autism Spectrum Disorder- and/or Intellectual Disability-Associated Semaphorin-5A Exploits the Mechanism by Which Dock5 Signalosome Molecules Control Cell Shape. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:3092-3107. [PMID: 38666924 PMCID: PMC11049140 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46040194] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Individuals with ASD may exhibit difficulties in social interactions, communication challenges, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. While genetic mutations in individuals with ASD can either activate or inactivate the activities of the gene product, impacting neuronal morphogenesis and causing symptoms, the underlying mechanism remains to be fully established. Herein, for the first time, we report that genetically conserved Rac1 guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Dock5 signalosome molecules control process elongation in the N1E-115 cell line, a model line capable of achieving neuronal morphological changes. The increased elongation phenotypes observed in ASD and intellectual disability (ID)-associated Semaphorin-5A (Sema5A) Arg676-to-Cys [p.R676C] were also mediated by Dock5 signalosome molecules. Indeed, knockdown of Dock5 using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CasRx-based guide(g)RNA specifically recovered the mutated Sema5A-induced increase in process elongation in cells. Knockdown of Elmo2, an adaptor molecule of Dock5, also exhibited similar recovery. Comparable results were obtained when transfecting the interaction region of Dock5 with Elmo2. The activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), one of the primary signal transduction molecules underlying process elongation, was ameliorated by either their knockdown or transfection. These results suggest that the Dock5 signalosome comprises abnormal signaling involved in the process elongation induced by ASD- and ID-associated Sema5A. These molecules could be added to the list of potential therapeutic target molecules for abnormal neuronal morphogenesis in ASD at the molecular and cellular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyu Okabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Takanari Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Mikito Takahashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Asahi Honjo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Maho Okawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Miki Ishida
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
| | - Mutsuko Kukimoto-Niino
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.K.-N.); (M.S.)
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.K.-N.); (M.S.)
| | - Yuki Miyamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Junji Yamauchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (M.O.); (Y.M.)
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.K.-N.); (M.S.)
- Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
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Del Casale A, Arena JF, Giannetti F, Minervino A, Biggio G, Girardi P. The use of prolonged-release melatonin in circadian medicine: a systematic review. Minerva Med 2024; 115:125-142. [PMID: 38713204 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.24.09303-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, regulates the sleep-wake cycle and is effective in restoring biological rhythms. Prolonged-release melatonin (PRM) is designed to mimic the natural physiological pattern of melatonin release. In circadian medicine, PRM can be used to treat sleep and circadian rhythm disorders, as well as numerous organic diseases associated with sleep disorders. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION This systematic review analyzed 62 studies and adhered to the PRISMA guidelines, examining the effectiveness of PRM in organic pathologies and mental disorders. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS The main evidence concerns primary insomnia in subjects over the age of 55, showing significant improvements in sleep quality. In neurodevelopmental disorders, there is evidence of a positive impact on sleep quality and quality of life for patients and their caregivers. PRM shows efficacy in the treatment of sleep disorders in mood disorders, schizophrenia, and neurocognitive disorders, but requires further confirmation. The additional use of PRM is supported for the withdrawal of chronic benzodiazepine therapies. The tolerability and safety of PRM are excellent, with ample evidence supporting the absence of tolerance and dependence. CONCLUSIONS Overall, PRM in circadian medicine is an effective chronopharmaceutical for restoring the sleep-wake rhythm in patients with insomnia disorder. This efficacy may also extend to sleep disorders associated with mood, neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders, suggesting a further potential role in insomnia associated with various organic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Del Casale
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy -
- Emergency and Admissions Department, Unit of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, Rome, Italy -
| | - Jan F Arena
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanni Biggio
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paolo Girardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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Jin T, Huang W, Pang Q, He Z, Yuan L, Zhang H, Xing D, Guo S, Zhang T. Inferring the genetic effects of serum homocysteine and vitamin B levels on autism spectral disorder through Mendelian randomization. Eur J Nutr 2024; 63:977-986. [PMID: 38265752 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03329-7] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The previous studies have suggested that serum homocysteine (Hcy) and vitamin B levels are potentially related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the causality between their concentrations and ASD risk remains unclear. To elucidate this genetic association, we used a Mendelian randomization (MR) design. METHODS For this MR analysis, 47 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)-13 related to Hcy, 13 to folate, 14 to vitamin B6, and 7 to vitamin B12-were obtained from a large-scale Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) database and employed as instrumental variables (IVs). Our study used three approaches to calculate the MR estimates, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, MR-Egger method, and weighted median (WM) method. Among these, the IVW method served as our primary MR method. False discovery rate (FDR) was implemented to correct for multiple comparisons. We also performed a series of sensitivity analyses, including Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger's intercept, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis, and the funnel plot. RESULTS Univariable Mendelian randomization (UVMR) analysis revealed a statistical association between serum vitamin B12 levels and ASD risk (OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.12-2.52, P = 0.01) using the IVW method. However, neither the WM method (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 0.93-2.66, P = 0.09) nor the MR-Egger method (OR = 2.33, 95% CI 0.48-11.19, P = 0.34) was significantly association with higher levels of serum vitamin B12 and ASD risk. Additionally, we found no evidence of causal relationships between serum levels of vitamin B6, folate, Hcy, and ASD risk. After correcting for the FDR, the causality between serum vitamin B12 levels and ASD risk remained significant (q value = 0.0270). Multivariate Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis indicated an independent association between elevated serum vitamin B12 levels and the risk of ASD (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.03-2.95, P = 0.03) using the IVW method, but this finding was inconsistent when using the WM method (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 0.89-3.36, P = 0.11) and MR-Egger method (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 0.95-2.71, P = 0.08). Furthermore, no causal associations were observed for serum levels of vitamin B6 and folate in MVMR analysis. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that these results were reliable. CONCLUSION Our study indicated that elevated serum vitamin B12 levels might increase the risk of ASD. The potential implications of our results for ASD risk warrant validation in randomized clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Jin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
- Drum Tower Clinical Medical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiongyi Pang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Zitian He
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Linran Yuan
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
- University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Haojie Zhang
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dalin Xing
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shunyuan Guo
- Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Neurology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
- Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China.
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21
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Zhuang H, Liang Z, Ma G, Qureshi A, Ran X, Feng C, Liu X, Yan X, Shen L. Autism spectrum disorder: pathogenesis, biomarker, and intervention therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e497. [PMID: 38434761 PMCID: PMC10908366 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become a common neurodevelopmental disorder. The heterogeneity of ASD poses great challenges for its research and clinical translation. On the basis of reviewing the heterogeneity of ASD, this review systematically summarized the current status and progress of pathogenesis, diagnostic markers, and interventions for ASD. We provided an overview of the ASD molecular mechanisms identified by multi-omics studies and convergent mechanism in different genetic backgrounds. The comorbidities, mechanisms associated with important physiological and metabolic abnormalities (i.e., inflammation, immunity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction), and gut microbial disorder in ASD were reviewed. The non-targeted omics and targeting studies of diagnostic markers for ASD were also reviewed. Moreover, we summarized the progress and methods of behavioral and educational interventions, intervention methods related to technological devices, and research on medical interventions and potential drug targets. This review highlighted the application of high-throughput omics methods in ASD research and emphasized the importance of seeking homogeneity from heterogeneity and exploring the convergence of disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and intervention approaches, and proposes that taking into account individuality and commonality may be the key to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Zhuang
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Liang
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Guanwei Ma
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Ayesha Qureshi
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xiaoqian Ran
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Chengyun Feng
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of BaoanShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xukun Liu
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Xi Yan
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Liming Shen
- College of Life Science and OceanographyShenzhen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
- Shenzhen‐Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science‐Shenzhen Fundamental Research InstitutionsShenzhenP. R. China
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Suprunowicz M, Tomaszek N, Urbaniak A, Zackiewicz K, Modzelewski S, Waszkiewicz N. Between Dysbiosis, Maternal Immune Activation and Autism: Is There a Common Pathway? Nutrients 2024; 16:549. [PMID: 38398873 PMCID: PMC10891846 DOI: 10.3390/nu16040549] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by impaired social interactions and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. Growing evidence highlights an important role of the gut-brain-microbiome axis in the pathogenesis of ASD. Research indicates an abnormal composition of the gut microbiome and the potential involvement of bacterial molecules in neuroinflammation and brain development disruptions. Concurrently, attention is directed towards the role of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and impaired intestinal tightness. This comprehensive review emphasizes the potential impact of maternal gut microbiota changes on the development of autism in children, especially considering maternal immune activation (MIA). The following paper evaluates the impact of the birth route on the colonization of the child with bacteria in the first weeks of life. Furthermore, it explores the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-17a and mother's obesity as potentially environmental factors of ASD. The purpose of this review is to advance our understanding of ASD pathogenesis, while also searching for the positive implications of the latest therapies, such as probiotics, prebiotics or fecal microbiota transplantation, targeting the gut microbiota and reducing inflammation. This review aims to provide valuable insights that could instruct future studies and treatments for individuals affected by ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stefan Modzelewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Bialystok, pl. Wołodyjowskiego 2, 15-272 Białystok, Poland; (M.S.); (N.T.); (A.U.); (K.Z.); (N.W.)
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23
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Robea MA, Ilie OD, Nicoara MN, Solcan G, Romila LE, Ureche D, Ciobica A. Vitamin B 12 Ameliorates Pesticide-Induced Sociability Impairment in Zebrafish ( Danio rerio): A Prospective Controlled Intervention Study. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:405. [PMID: 38338046 PMCID: PMC10854844 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Constant exposure to a variety of environmental factors has become increasingly problematic. A variety of illnesses are initiated or aided by the presence of certain perturbing factors. In the case of autism spectrum disorder, the environmental component plays an important part in determining the overall picture. Moreover, the lack of therapies to relieve existing symptoms complicates the fight against this condition. As a result, animal models have been used to make biomedical research easier and more suited for disease investigations. The current study used zebrafish as an animal model to mimic a real-life scenario: acute exposure to an increased dose of pesticides, followed by prospective intervention-based therapy with vitamin B12 (vit. B12). It is known that vit. B12 is involved in brain function nerve tissue, and red blood cell formation. Aside from this, the role of vit. B12 in the redox processes is recognized for its help against free radicals. To investigate the effect of vit. B12, fish were divided into four different groups and exposed to a pesticide mixture (600 μg L-1 fipronil + 600 μg L-1 pyriproxyfen) and 0.24 μg L-1 vit. B12 for 14 days. The impact of the compounds was assessed daily with EthoVision XT 11.5 software for behavioral observations, especially for sociability, quantified by the social interaction test. In addition, at the end of the study, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The results showed significant improvements in locomotor activity parameters and a positive influence of the vitamin on sociability. Regarding the state of oxidative stress, high activity was found for SOD and GPx in the case of vit. B12, while fish exposed to the mixture of pesticides and vit. B12 had a lower level of MDA. In conclusion, the study provides new data about the effect of vit. B12 in zebrafish, highlighting the potential use of vitamin supplementation to maintain and support the function of the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madalina Andreea Robea
- Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Ovidiu Dumitru Ilie
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa”, University Street No. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Mircea Nicusor Nicoara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505 Iasi, Romania;
- Doctoral School of Geosciences, Faculty of Geography and Geology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700505 Iasi, Romania
| | - Gheorghe Solcan
- Internal Medicine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700489 Iasi, Romania;
| | | | - Dorel Ureche
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University “Vasile Alecsandri“ of Bacau, Calea Marasesti Street, No. 157, 600115 Bacau, Romania
| | - Alin Ciobica
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505 Iasi, Romania;
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, 54, Independence Street, Sector 5, 050094 Bucharest, Romania
- Center of Biomedical Research, Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch, Teodor Codrescu 2, 700481 Iasi, Romania
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Abdelaziz EM, Alsadaan N, Alqahtani M, Elsharkawy NB, Ouda MMA, Ramadan OME, Shaban M, Shokre ES. Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on Psychological Distress among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Problem-Solving Appraisal. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:46. [PMID: 38247698 PMCID: PMC10813282 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010046] [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: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face considerable psychological distress. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown promise in reducing caregiver burden, but evidence in the Arab world is lacking. Problem-solving appraisal training may optimize CBT's benefits. This study evaluated a tailored CBT program emphasizing the role of problem-solving appraisal in managing distress through the process of CBT. Sixty mothers were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the CBT intervention group or the control group. The CBT group received 3-month sessions incorporating problem-solving appraisal training within a CBT curriculum from October 2022 to April 2023. Problem-solving techniques are focused on equipping individuals with the skills to identify, approach, and effectively resolve problems, leading to a reduction in stress levels and an improved capacity to cope with difficult situations. All mothers completed assessments of socio-demographics such as age, level of education, marital status, occupation, and adequacy of family income, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) before and after the program. The CBT group showed significant pre-to-post reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, and general psychological distress compared to controls (all p < 0.05). They also exhibited significant improvements in problem-solving confidence, approach-avoidance style and personal control (all p < 0.05). The customized CBT program markedly improved psychological well-being for mothers of children with ASD in Egypt. Incorporating problem-solving techniques may optimize CBT's benefits cross-culturally. These findings have implications for the implementation of evidence-based support programs for families impacted by ASD worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enas Mahrous Abdelaziz
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Nourah Alsadaan
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Mohammed Alqahtani
- Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Nadia Bassuoni Elsharkawy
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
- Maternal and Newborn Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Marwa Mohamed Ahmed Ouda
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
- Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhur University, Damanhur 22516, Egypt
| | - Osama Mohamed Elsayed Ramadan
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
- Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Mostafa Shaban
- College of Nursing, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia; (E.M.A.); (N.B.E.); (M.M.A.O.); (O.M.E.R.); (M.S.)
- Geriatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Evon S. Shokre
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Fayum University, Fayum 63514, Egypt;
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25
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Goh CJ, Kwon HJ, Kim Y, Jung S, Park J, Lee IK, Park BR, Kim MJ, Kim MJ, Lee MS. Improving CNV Detection Performance in Microarray Data Using a Machine Learning-Based Approach. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 14:84. [PMID: 38201393 PMCID: PMC10871075 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14010084] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Copy number variation (CNV) is a primary source of structural variation in the human genome, leading to several disorders. Therefore, analyzing neonatal CNVs is crucial for managing CNV-related chromosomal disabilities. However, genomic waves can hinder accurate CNV analysis. To mitigate the influences of the waves, we adopted a machine learning approach and developed a new method that uses a modified log R ratio instead of the commonly used log R ratio. Validation results using samples with known CNVs demonstrated the superior performance of our method. We analyzed a total of 16,046 Korean newborn samples using the new method and identified CNVs related to 39 genetic disorders were identified in 342 cases. The most frequently detected CNV-related disorder was Joubert syndrome 4. The accuracy of our method was further confirmed by analyzing a subset of the detected results using NGS and comparing them with our results. The utilization of a genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism array with wave offset was shown to be a powerful method for identifying CNVs in neonatal cases. The accurate screening and the ability to identify various disease susceptibilities offered by our new method could facilitate the identification of CNV-associated chromosomal disease etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul Jun Goh
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Hyuk-Jung Kwon
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Incheon National University (INU), Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonhee Kim
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Seunghee Jung
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Jiwoo Park
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Isaac Kise Lee
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Incheon National University (INU), Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
- NGENI Foundation, San Diego, CA 92127, USA
| | - Bo-Ram Park
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Myeong-Ji Kim
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Min-Jeong Kim
- Diagnomics, Inc., 5795 Kearny Villa Rd., San Diego, CA 92123, USA;
| | - Min-Seob Lee
- Eone-Diagnomics Genome Center, Inc., 143, Gaetbeol-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; (C.J.G.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.K.); (S.J.); (J.P.); (I.K.L.); (B.-R.P.); (M.-J.K.)
- Diagnomics, Inc., 5795 Kearny Villa Rd., San Diego, CA 92123, USA;
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Molani-Gol R, Alizadeh M, Kheirouri S, Hamedi-Kalajahi F. The early life growth of head circumference, weight, and height in infants with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:619. [PMID: 38066466 PMCID: PMC10704616 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04445-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS The Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has increased significantly over the past two decades. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the association between the early life growth of head circumference (HC), weight, and height with ASD in infants. METHODS PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to November 2021 using relevant keywords. All original articles are written in English evaluating the early life growth of HC, weight, and height in infants with ASD were eligible for the present review. RESULTS Totally, 23 articles involving 4959 infants were included in this review. Of 13 studies that evaluated HC of infants at birth, 10 studies (83.33%) showed that the HC at the birth of autistic children was similar to that of the average found in the control group. Among 21 studies that evaluated the HC and weight status in infants, 19 studies (90.47%) showed that autistic children had larger HC and weight than the control group or abnormal acceleration of head growth during infancy. Height growth of infants was investigated in 13 studies, of which 10 cases (76.92%) reported that infants with ASD were significantly longer than control groups. Most of he included studies had a good quality. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that in infants with ASD, without the contribution of birth growth factors and sex of the child, the growth of HC, weight, and height probably was faster than in infants with normal development, in early life. Therefore, these measurements might be useful as initial predictive biomarkers for the risk of developing ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roghayeh Molani-Gol
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
| | - Mohammad Alizadeh
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
| | - Sorayya Kheirouri
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Hamedi-Kalajahi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
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Okabe M, Miyamoto Y, Ikoma Y, Takahashi M, Shirai R, Kukimoto-Niino M, Shirouzu M, Yamauchi J. RhoG-Binding Domain of Elmo1 Ameliorates Excessive Process Elongation Induced by Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Sema5A. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2023; 30:548-566. [PMID: 38133141 PMCID: PMC10745971 DOI: 10.3390/pathophysiology30040040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. ASD is characterized by poor interpersonal relationships and strong attachment. The correlations between activated or inactivated gene products, which occur as a result of genetic mutations affecting neurons in ASD patients, and ASD symptoms are now of critical concern. Here, for the first time, we describe the process in which that the respective ASD-associated mutations (Arg676-to-Cys [R676C] and Ser951-to-Cys [S951C]) of semaphorin-5A (Sema5A) localize Sema5A proteins themselves around the plasma membrane in the N1E-115 cell line, a model line that can achieve neuronal morphological differentiation. The expression of each mutated construct resulted in the promotion of excessive elongation of neurite-like processes with increased differentiation protein markers; R676C was more effective than S951C. The differentiated phenotypes were very partially neutralized by an antibody, against Plexin-B3 as the specific Sema5A receptor, suggesting that the effects of Sema5A act in an autocrine manner. R676C greatly increased the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), one of the signaling molecules underlying process elongation. In contrast, the blocking of JNK signaling, by a chemical JNK inhibitor or an inhibitory construct of the interaction of RhoG with Elmo1 as JNK upstream signaling molecules, recovered the excessive process elongation. These results suggest that ASD-associated mutations of Sema5A, acting through the JNK signaling cascade, lead to excessive differentiated phenotypes, and the inhibition of JNK signaling recovers them, revealing possible therapeutic targets for recovering the potential molecular and cellular phenotypes underlying certain ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyu Okabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Yuki Miyamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Yuta Ikoma
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Mikito Takahashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Remina Shirai
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Mutsuko Kukimoto-Niino
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan (M.S.)
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan (M.S.)
| | - Junji Yamauchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan (Y.M.); (R.S.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
- Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science,Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
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Chen CC, Lin CH, Lin MC. Maternal autoimmune disease and risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder - a nationwide population-based cohort study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1254453. [PMID: 38025447 PMCID: PMC10654781 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1254453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders which cause long term social and behavior impairment, and its prevalence is on the rise. Studies about the association between maternal autoimmune diseases and offspring ASD have controversial results. The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal autoimmune diseases increase the risk of ASD in offspring from a population-based perspective. Methods The data sources were Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and Taiwan's Maternal and Child Health Database (MCHD), which were integrated and used to identify newborns whose mothers were diagnosed with autoimmune disease. Newborns were matched by maternal age, neonatal gender, and date of birth with controls whose mothers were without autoimmune disease using a ratio of 1:4 between 2004 and 2019. Data on diagnoses of autoimmune disease and autism spectrum disorders were retrieved from NHIRD. Patients who had at least 3 outpatient visits or at least 1 admission with a diagnosis of autoimmune disease and autism spectrum disorders were defined as incidence cases. The risks of ASD in offspring were compared between mothers with or without autoimmune disorders. Results We identified 20,865 newborns whose mothers had been diagnosed with autoimmune disease before pregnancy and matched them at a ratio of 1:4 with a total of 83,460 newborn whose mothers were without autoimmune disease, by maternal age, neonatal gender, and date of birth. They were randomly selected as the control group. The cumulative incidence rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were significantly higher among the offspring of mothers with autoimmune diseases. After adjusting for cofactors, the risk of ASD remained significantly higher in children whose mother had autoimmune diseases. Regarding to specific maternal autoimmune disease, Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis were both associated with elevated risks of ASD in offspring. Conclusion Mother with autoimmune disease might be associated with increasing the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Chu Chen
- Children’s Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Heng Lin
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Lin
- Children’s Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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del Valle E, Rubio-Sardón N, Menéndez-Pérez C, Martínez-Pinilla E, Navarro A. Apolipoprotein D as a Potential Biomarker in Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15631. [PMID: 37958618 PMCID: PMC10650001 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115631] [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: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders (NDs) are a diverse group of pathologies, including schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, that directly affect the mental and physical health of those who suffer from them, with an incidence that is increasing worldwide. Most NDs result from a complex interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors such as stress or traumatic events, including the recent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition to diverse clinical presentations, these diseases are heterogeneous in their pathogenesis, brain regions affected, and clinical symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. Therefore, finding new biomarkers is essential for the detection, prognosis, response prediction, and development of new treatments for NDs. Among the most promising candidates is the apolipoprotein D (Apo D), a component of lipoproteins implicated in lipid metabolism. Evidence suggests an increase in Apo D expression in association with aging and in the presence of neuropathological processes. As a part of the cellular neuroprotective defense machinery against oxidative stress and inflammation, changes in Apo D levels have been demonstrated in neuropsychiatric conditions like schizophrenia (SZ) or bipolar disorders (BPD), not only in some brain areas but in corporal fluids, i.e., blood or serum of patients. What is not clear is whether variation in Apo D quantity could be used as an indicator to detect NDs and their progression. This review aims to provide an updated view of the clinical potential of Apo D as a possible biomarker for NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva del Valle
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (E.d.V.); (N.R.-S.); (C.M.-P.); (A.N.)
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Nuria Rubio-Sardón
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (E.d.V.); (N.R.-S.); (C.M.-P.); (A.N.)
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carlota Menéndez-Pérez
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (E.d.V.); (N.R.-S.); (C.M.-P.); (A.N.)
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Eva Martínez-Pinilla
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (E.d.V.); (N.R.-S.); (C.M.-P.); (A.N.)
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ana Navarro
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain; (E.d.V.); (N.R.-S.); (C.M.-P.); (A.N.)
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
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Dhossche D, de Billy C, Laurent-Levinson C, Le Normand MT, Recasens C, Robel L, Philippe A. Early-onset catatonia associated with SHANK3 mutations: looking at the autism spectrum through the prism of psychomotor phenomena. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1186555. [PMID: 37810596 PMCID: PMC10557257 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1186555] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) present with a wide range of diagnoses: autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or schizophrenia. Differences in the genetic background could explain these different neurodevelopmental trajectories. However, a more parsimonious hypothesis is to consider that they may be the same phenotypic entity. Catatonic disturbances occasionally reported from adolescence onwards in PMS prompts exploration of the hypothesis that this clinical entity may be an early-onset form of catatonia. The largest cohort of children with childhood catatonia was studied by the Wernicke-Kleist-Leonhard school (WKL school), which regards catatonia as a collection of qualitative abnormalities of psychomotricity that predominantly affecting involuntary motricity (reactive and expressive). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of psychomotor signs in three young adults carrying a mutation or intragenic deletion of the SHANK3 gene through the prism of the WKL school conception of catatonia. Methods This study was designed as an exploratory case study. Current and childhood psychomotor phenomena were investigated through semi-structured interviews with the parents, direct interaction with the participants, and the study of documents reporting observations of the participants at school or by other healthcare professionals. Results The findings show catatonic manifestations from childhood that evolved into a chronic form, with possible phases of sub-acute exacerbations starting from adolescence. Conclusion The presence of catatonic symptoms from childhood associated with autistic traits leads us to consider that this singular entity fundamentally related to SHANK3 mutations could be a form of early-onset catatonia. Further case studies are needed to confirm our observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Dhossche
- Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Inland Northwest Behavioral Health, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Clément de Billy
- CEMNIS – Noninvasive Neuromodulation Center, University Hospital Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Claudine Laurent-Levinson
- Faculté de Médecine Sorbonne Université, Groupe de Recherche Clinique no. 15 – Troubles Psychiatriques et Développement (PSYDEV), Paris, France
- Centre de Référence des Maladies Rares à Expression Psychiatrique, Département de Psychiatrie de l’enfant et l’adolescent, Hôpital Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France
| | - Marie T. Le Normand
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Recasens
- Service universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Centre hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Laurence Robel
- Unité de Psychopathologie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, GHU Paris, Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, Paris, France
| | - Anne Philippe
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- INSERM U1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France
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31
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Martín-Hernández D, Muñoz-López M, Tendilla-Beltrán H, Caso JR, García-Bueno B, Menchén L, Leza JC. Immune System and Brain/Intestinal Barrier Functions in Psychiatric Diseases: Is Sphingosine-1-Phosphate at the Helm? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12634. [PMID: 37628815 PMCID: PMC10454107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612634] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, extensive research has shed light on immune alterations and the significance of dysfunctional biological barriers in psychiatric disorders. The leaky gut phenomenon, intimately linked to the integrity of both brain and intestinal barriers, may play a crucial role in the origin of peripheral and central inflammation in these pathologies. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that regulates both the immune response and the permeability of biological barriers. Notably, S1P-based drugs, such as fingolimod and ozanimod, have received approval for treating multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), and ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition of the colon, respectively. Although the precise mechanisms of action are still under investigation, the effectiveness of S1P-based drugs in treating these pathologies sparks a debate on extending their use in psychiatry. This comprehensive review aims to delve into the molecular mechanisms through which S1P modulates the immune system and brain/intestinal barrier functions. Furthermore, it will specifically focus on psychiatric diseases, with the primary objective of uncovering the potential of innovative therapies based on S1P signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martín-Hernández
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Muñoz-López
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), 72570 Puebla, Mexico;
| | - Javier R. Caso
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Menchén
- Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBEREHD, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C. Leza
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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32
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Kim HG. Editorial for the IJMS Special Issue on "Molecular Genetics of Autism and Intellectual Disability". Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10394. [PMID: 37373542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental illness that affects children at an early age with a global prevalence of 1%, is diagnosed based on clinical features such as social impairment, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Goo Kim
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
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Usui N, Kobayashi H, Shimada S. Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065487. [PMID: 36982559 PMCID: PMC10049423 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by impairments in social communication, repetitive behaviors, restricted interests, and hyperesthesia/hypesthesia caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. In recent years, inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. In this review, we discuss the inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of ASD, particularly focusing on maternal immune activation (MIA). MIA is a one of the common environmental risk factors for the onset of ASD during pregnancy. It induces an immune reaction in the pregnant mother’s body, resulting in further inflammation and oxidative stress in the placenta and fetal brain. These negative factors cause neurodevelopmental impairments in the developing fetal brain and subsequently cause behavioral symptoms in the offspring. In addition, we also discuss the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs and antioxidants in basic studies on animals and clinical studies of ASD. Our review provides the latest findings and new insights into the involvements of inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-668-79-3124
| | - Hikaru Kobayashi
- SANKEN (Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Suita 567-0047, Japan
| | - Shoichi Shimada
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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Bhat RS, Alonazi M, Al-Daihan S, El-Ansary A. Prenatal SSRI Exposure Increases the Risk of Autism in Rodents via Aggravated Oxidative Stress and Neurochemical Changes in the Brain. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13020310. [PMID: 36837929 PMCID: PMC9963091 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020310] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy as a major autism risk factor are unclear. Here, brain neurochemical changes following fluoxetine exposure and in an autism model were compared to determine the effects on autism risk. The study was performed on neonatal male western albino rats which were divided into Groups one (control), two (propionic acid [PPA]-induced autism model), and three (prenatal SSRI-exposed newborn rats whose mothers were exposed to 5 mg/kg of fluoxetine over gestation days 10-20). SSRI (fluoxetine) induced significant neurochemical abnormalities in the rat brain by increasing lipid peroxide (MDA), Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and caspase-3 levels and by depleting Glutathione (GSH), Glutathione S-transferases (GST), Catalase, potassium (K+), and Creatine kinase (CK) levels, similarly to what has been discovered in the PPA model of autism when compared with control. Prenatal fluoxetine exposure plays a significant role in asset brain damage in newborns; further investigation of fluoxetine as an autism risk factor is thus warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesa Shafi Bhat
- Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence:
| | - Mona Alonazi
- Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sooad Al-Daihan
- Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
| | - Afaf El-Ansary
- Central Research Laboratory, Female Campus, King Saud University, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
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