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Yin H, Zhang J, Chen Y, Guo J, Li Q, Dinnyes A, Sun Q, Liu X, He G, Zhu B, Liu Y, Xu P, Xu W, Xie J. Placenta-specific CYP11A1 overexpression lead to autism-like symptom in offspring with altered steroid hormone biosynthesis in the placenta-brain axis and rescued by vitamin D intervention. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 121:13-25. [PMID: 39025414 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.012] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in steroid hormone regulation have been implicated in the etiology and progression of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with the enzyme cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1 (CYP11A1)-a key catalyst in cholesterol side-chain cleavage, prominently expressed in the adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, and placenta-standing at the forefront of these investigations. The potential link between aberrations in placental Cyp11a1 expression and the resultant neurodevelopmental disorders, along with the mechanisms underpinning such associations, remains inadequately delineated. In this study, we employed a placental trophoblast-specific Cyp11a1 Hipp11 (H11) knock-in murine model to dissect the phenotypic manifestations within the placenta and progeny, thereby elucidating the underlying mechanistic pathways. Behavioral analyses revealed a diminution in social interaction capabilities alongside an augmented anxiety phenotype, as evidenced by open field and elevated plus maze assessments; both phenotypes were ameliorated after vitamin D3 supplementation. Electrophysiological assays underscored the augmented inhibition of paired-pulse facilitation, indicating impaired neuroplasticity in Cyp11a1 H11-modified mice. An elevation in progesterone concentrations was noted, alongside a significant upregulation of Th1-related cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα) across the plasma, placental, and frontal cortex-a pathological state mitigable through vitamin D3 intervention. Western blotting revealed a vitamin D-mediated rectification of vitamin D receptor and PGC-1α expression dysregulations. Immunofluorescence assays revealed microglial activation in the knock-in model, which was reversible upon vitamin D3 treatment. In conclusion, Cyp11a1 overexpression in the placenta recapitulated an autism-like phenotype in murine models, and vitamin D3 administration effectively ameliorated the resultant neurobehavioral and neuroinflammatory derangements. This study substantiates the application of Cyp11a1 as a biomarker in prenatal diagnostics and posits that prenatal vitamin D3 supplementation is a viable prophylactic measure against perturbations in steroid hormone metabolism associated with ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Yin
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yajun Chen
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Juncen Guo
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qing Li
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Andras Dinnyes
- BioTalentum Ltd., Gödöllő, Hungary; Department of Physiology and Animal Health, Institute of Physiology and Animal Nutrition, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Qun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Xinghui Liu
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guolin He
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Peng Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China.
| | - Wenming Xu
- Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Jiang Xie
- Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Liu J, Li N, Wei C, Han F, Deng M, Ma J, Zou X, Zhou Y, Yang R, Yuan H. GHS-R1a deficiency protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced spatial memory impairment in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 727:150270. [PMID: 38917617 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150270] [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: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation has been implicated in cognitive deficits of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. There is abundant evidence that the application of ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone regulating appetite and energy balance, abrogates neuroinflammation and rescues associated memory impairment. However, the underlying mechanism is uncertain. In this study, we find that both intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) impairs spatial memory in mice. LPS treatment causes neuroinflammation and microglial activation in the hippocampus. Ghsr1a deletion suppresses LPS-induced microglial activation and neuroinflammation, and rescued LPS-induced memory impairment. Our findings thus suggest that GHS-R1a signaling may promote microglial immunoactivation and contribute to LPS-induced neuroinflammation. GHS-R1a may be a new therapeutic target for cognitive dysfunction associated with inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junru Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Central Medical Group)Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China; Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China
| | - Na Li
- Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China; Department of Medicine, Qingdao Binhai University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266555, China
| | - Chuang Wei
- Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
| | - Fubing Han
- Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266000, China
| | - Mingru Deng
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China; Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
| | - Jialin Ma
- Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
| | - Xueying Zou
- Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China; Institute of Brain Sciences and Related Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China; Affiliated Qingdao Third People's Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China.
| | - Rong Yang
- Affiliated Qingdao Third People's Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China.
| | - Haicheng Yuan
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Central Medical Group)Qingdao, Shandong 266042, China; Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China.
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Rahmati-Dehkordi F, Khanifar H, Najari N, Tamtaji Z, Talebi Taheri A, Aschner M, Shafiee Ardestani M, Mirzaei H, Dadgostar E, Nabavizadeh F, Tamtaji OR. Therapeutic Potential of Fingolimod on Psychological Symptoms and Cognitive Function in Neuropsychiatric and Neurological Disorders. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:2668-2681. [PMID: 38918332 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04199-5] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders pose a significant global health burden, highlighting the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. Fingolimod (FTY720), a common drug to treat multiple sclerosis, has shown promising efficacy against various neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Fingolimod exerts its neuroprotective effects by targeting multiple cellular and molecular processes, such as apoptosis, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and autophagy. By modulating Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor activity, a key regulator of immune cell trafficking and neuronal function, it also affects synaptic activity and strengthens memory formation. In the hippocampus, fingolimod decreases glutamate levels and increases GABA levels, suggesting a potential role in modulating synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. Taken together, fingolimod has emerged as a promising neuroprotective agent for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Its broad spectrum of cellular and molecular effects, including the modulation of apoptosis, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, autophagy, and synaptic plasticity, provides a comprehensive therapeutic approach for these debilitating conditions. Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action of fingolimod and optimize its use in the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Rahmati-Dehkordi
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hadi Khanifar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Shahre-kord University of Medical Sciences, Shahre-kord, Iran
| | - Nazanin Najari
- Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zeinab Tamtaji
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Abdolkarim Talebi Taheri
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Mehdi Shafiee Ardestani
- Department of Radio Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ehsan Dadgostar
- Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
- Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Nabavizadeh
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Omid Reza Tamtaji
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Bjørklund G, Mkhitaryan M, Sahakyan E, Fereshetyan K, Meguid NA, Hemimi M, Nashaat NH, Yenkoyan K. Linking Environmental Chemicals to Neuroinflammation and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mechanisms and Implications for Prevention. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:6328-6340. [PMID: 38296898 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03941-y] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
This article explores the potential link between endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), neuroinflammation, and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neuroinflammation refers to the immune system's response to injury, infection, or disease in the central nervous system. Studies have shown that exposure to EDCs, such as bisphenol A and phthalates, can disrupt normal immune function in the brain, leading to chronic or excessive neuroinflammation. This disruption of immune function can contribute to developing neurological disorders, including ASD. Furthermore, EDCs may activate microglia, increasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and astroglia-mediated oxidative stress, exacerbating neuroinflammation. EDCs may also modulate the epigenetic profile of cells by methyltransferase expression, thereby affecting neurodevelopment. This article also highlights the importance of reducing exposure to EDCs and advocating for policies and regulations restricting their use. Further research is needed to understand better the mechanisms underlying the link between EDCs, neuroinflammation, and ASD and to develop new treatments for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geir Bjørklund
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Toften 24, 8610, Mo i Rana, Norway.
| | - Meri Mkhitaryan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 0025, 2 Koryun str, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Elen Sahakyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 0025, 2 Koryun str, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Katarine Fereshetyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 0025, 2 Koryun str, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Nagwa A Meguid
- Research on Children with Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
- CONEM Egypt Child Brain Research Group, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Maha Hemimi
- Research on Children with Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
- CONEM Egypt Child Brain Research Group, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | | | - Konstantin Yenkoyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 0025, 2 Koryun str, Yerevan, Armenia.
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Al Mutairi F, Joueidi F, Alshalan M, Aloyouni E, Ballow M, Aldrees M, Al Abdulrahman A, Al Tuwaijri A, Abbas S, Umair M, Alfadhel M. Biallelic HMGXB4 loss-of-function variant causes intellectual disability, developmental delay, and dysmorphic features. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35361. [PMID: 39166056 PMCID: PMC11334805 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background HMGXB4 (additionally known as HMG2L1) is a non-histone DNA-binding protein that contains a single HMG-box domain. HMGXB4 was originally described in Xenopus where it was seen to negatively regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Materials and methods In this study, we conducted a genetic and clinical evaluation of a single family with three affected individuals suffering from intellectual disability (ID), global developmental delay (GDD) and dysmorphic facial features.Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and Sanger sequencing were performed on the affected individuals' DNA to identify genetic variations. Additionally, a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to assess gene expression in both the affected and unaffected individuals in the family. Result WGS identified a homozygous frameshift variant c.1193_1196del p. (Lys398Argfs × 25) in exon 5 of the HMGXB4 gene (OMIM 604702), which completely segregated the disease phenotype in the family. Furthermore, RT-qPCR revealed a substantial decrease in the HMGXB4 gene expression in the affected individuals as compared to the unaffected individuals of the family. Conclusions The current study is the first evidence linking a genetic variant in the HMGXB4 gene to ID, GDD, and dysmorphic facial features. Therefore, it is possible that HMGXB4 contributes significantly to developmental milestones and may be responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuad Al Mutairi
- Genetic and Precision Medicine Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Joueidi
- College of Medicine, Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Alshalan
- Genetic and Precision Medicine Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia
| | - Essra Aloyouni
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariam Ballow
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Aldrees
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulkareem Al Abdulrahman
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abeer Al Tuwaijri
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
- Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safdar Abbas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Muhammad Umair
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Alfadhel
- Genetic and Precision Medicine Department, King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia
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Camussi D, Naef V, Brogi L, Della Vecchia S, Marchese M, Nicoletti F, Santorelli FM, Licitra R. Delving into the Complexity of Valproate-Induced Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Use of Zebrafish Models. Cells 2024; 13:1349. [PMID: 39195239 DOI: 10.3390/cells13161349] [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: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental condition with several identified risk factors, both genetic and non-genetic. Among these, prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has been extensively associated with the development of the disorder. The zebrafish, a cost- and time-effective model, is useful for studying ASD features. Using validated VPA-induced ASD zebrafish models, we aimed to provide new insights into VPA exposure effects during embryonic development and to identify new potential biomarkers associated with ASD-like features. Dose-response analyses were performed in vivo to study larval phenotypes and mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, microglial cell status, and motor behaviour. Wild-type and transgenic Tg(mpeg1:EGFP) zebrafish were water-exposed to VPA doses (5 to 500 µM) from 6 to 120 h post-fertilisation (hpf). Embryos and larvae were monitored daily to assess survival and hatching rates, and numerous analyses and tests were conducted from 24 to 120 hpf. VPA doses higher than 50 µM worsened survival and hatching rates, while doses of 25 µM or more altered morphology, microglial status, and larval behaviours. VPA 50 µM also affected mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and neurogenesis-related genes, mitochondrial respiration, and reactive oxygen species accumulation. The study confirmed that VPA alters brain homeostasis, synaptic interconnections, and neurogenesis-related signalling pathways, contributing to ASD aetiopathogenesis. Further studies are essential to identify novel ASD biomarkers for developing new drug targets and tailored therapeutic interventions for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Camussi
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Naef
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Letizia Brogi
- Bio@SNS, Department of Neurosciences, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Della Vecchia
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Marchese
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Nicoletti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Vittorio Erspamer, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
- IRCSS Neuromed, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Filippo M Santorelli
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Rosario Licitra
- Department of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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7
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You M, Chen N, Yang Y, Cheng L, He H, Cai Y, Liu Y, Liu H, Hong G. The gut microbiota-brain axis in neurological disorders. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e656. [PMID: 39036341 PMCID: PMC11260174 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.656] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown a bidirectional communication between human gut microbiota and the brain, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA). The MGBA influences the host's nervous system development, emotional regulation, and cognitive function through neurotransmitters, immune modulation, and metabolic pathways. Factors like diet, lifestyle, genetics, and environment shape the gut microbiota composition together. Most research have explored how gut microbiota regulates host physiology and its potential in preventing and treating neurological disorders. However, the individual heterogeneity of gut microbiota, strains playing a dominant role in neurological diseases, and the interactions of these microbial metabolites with the central/peripheral nervous systems still need exploration. This review summarizes the potential role of gut microbiota in driving neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease), and mood disorders (anxiety and depression) in recent years and discusses the current clinical and preclinical gut microbe-based interventions, including dietary intervention, probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. It also puts forward the current insufficient research on gut microbiota in neurological disorders and provides a framework for further research on neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming You
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Nan Chen
- Master of Public HealthSchool of Public HealthXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yuanyuan Yang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Lingjun Cheng
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Hongzhang He
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yanhua Cai
- Master of Public HealthSchool of Public HealthXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Yating Liu
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Haiyue Liu
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Guolin Hong
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic TestingThe Department of Laboratory MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen UniversityXiamenChina
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8
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Wu J, Zhang J, Chen X, Wettschurack K, Que Z, Deming BA, Olivero-Acosta MI, Cui N, Eaton M, Zhao Y, Li SM, Suzuki M, Chen I, Xiao T, Halurkar MS, Mandal P, Yuan C, Xu R, Koss WA, Du D, Chen F, Wu LJ, Yang Y. Microglial over-pruning of synapses during development in autism-associated SCN2A-deficient mice and human cerebral organoids. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:2424-2437. [PMID: 38499656 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02518-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a major neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in 36 children in the United States. While neurons have been the focus of understanding ASD, an altered neuro-immune response in the brain may be closely associated with ASD, and a neuro-immune interaction could play a role in the disease progression. As the resident immune cells of the brain, microglia regulate brain development and homeostasis via core functions including phagocytosis of synapses. While ASD has been traditionally considered a polygenic disorder, recent large-scale human genetic studies have identified SCN2A deficiency as a leading monogenic cause of ASD and intellectual disability. We generated a Scn2a-deficient mouse model, which displays major behavioral and neuronal phenotypes. However, the role of microglia in this disease model is unknown. Here, we reported that Scn2a-deficient mice have impaired learning and memory, accompanied by reduced synaptic transmission and lower spine density in neurons of the hippocampus. Microglia in Scn2a-deficient mice are partially activated, exerting excessive phagocytic pruning of post-synapses related to the complement C3 cascades during selective developmental stages. The ablation of microglia using PLX3397 partially restores synaptic transmission and spine density. To extend our findings from rodents to human cells, we established a microglia-incorporated human cerebral organoid model carrying an SCN2A protein-truncating mutation identified in children with ASD. We found that human microglia display increased elimination of post-synapse in cerebral organoids carrying the SCN2A mutation. Our study establishes a key role of microglia in multi-species autism-associated models of SCN2A deficiency from mouse to human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxiang Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jingliang Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kyle Wettschurack
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Zhefu Que
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Brody A Deming
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Maria I Olivero-Acosta
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ningren Cui
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Muriel Eaton
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Yuanrui Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Sophia M Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Matthew Suzuki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ian Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Tiange Xiao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Manasi S Halurkar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Purba Mandal
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Chongli Yuan
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ranjie Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Wendy A Koss
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Dongshu Du
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Fuxue Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Long-Jun Wu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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9
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Li M, Wang Y, Gao H, Xia Z, Zeng C, Huang K, Zhu Z, Lu J, Chen Q, Ke X, Zhang W. Exploring autism via the retina: Comparative insights in children with autism spectrum disorder and typical development. Autism Res 2024; 17:1520-1533. [PMID: 39075780 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3204] [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: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a widely recognized neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the identification of reliable imaging biomarkers for its early diagnosis remains a challenge. Considering the specific manifestations of ASD in the eyes and the interconnectivity between the brain and the eyes, this study investigates ASD through the lens of retinal analysis. We specifically examined differences in the macular region of the retina using optical coherence tomography (OCT)/optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images between children diagnosed with ASD and those with typical development (TD). Our findings present potential novel characteristics of ASD: the thickness of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) with cone photoreceptors was significantly increased in ASD; the large-caliber arteriovenous of the inner retina was significantly reduced in ASD; these changes in the EZ and arteriovenous were more significant in the left eye than in the right eye. These observations of photoreceptor alterations, vascular function changes, and lateralization phenomena in ASD warrant further investigation, and we hope that this work can advance interdisciplinary understanding of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchao Li
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
- Future Lab, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuexuan Wang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiyun Gao
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhengwang Xia
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Chaofan Zeng
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Kun Huang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoqi Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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10
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Blum K, Bowirrat A, Sunder K, Thanos PK, Hanna C, Gold MS, Dennen CA, Elman I, Murphy KT, Makale MT. Dopamine Dysregulation in Reward and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2024; 14:733. [PMID: 39061473 PMCID: PMC11274922 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070733] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by core deficits in social skills, communication, and cognition and by repetitive stereotyped behaviors. These manifestations are variable between individuals, and ASD pathogenesis is complex, with over a thousand implicated genes, many epigenetic factors, and multiple environmental influences. The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) mediated brain reward system is held to play a key role, but the rapidly expanding literature reveals intricate, nuanced signaling involving a wide array of mesolimbic loci, neurotransmitters and receptor subtypes, and neuronal variants. How altered DA signaling may constitute a downstream convergence of the manifold causal origins of ASD is not well understood. A clear working framework of ASD pathogenesis may help delineate common stages and potential diagnostic and interventional opportunities. Hence, we summarize the known natural history of ASD in the context of emerging data and perspectives to update ASD reward signaling. Then, against this backdrop, we proffer a provisional framework that organizes ASD pathogenesis into successive levels, including (1) genetic and epigenetic changes, (2) disrupted mesolimbic reward signaling pathways, (3) dysregulated neurotransmitter/DA signaling, and finally, (4) altered neurocognitive and social behavior and possible antagonist/agonist based ASD interventions. This subdivision of ASD into a logical progression of potentially addressable parts may help facilitate the rational formulation of diagnostics and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Exercise Sports, Mental Health, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
- Sunder Foundation, Palm Springs, CA 92264, USA
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
| | | | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Colin Hanna
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Catherine A. Dennen
- Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Health Northeast, Philadelphia, PA 19145, USA
| | - Igor Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University School of Medicine, Cambridge, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin T. Murphy
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Milan T. Makale
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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11
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McPhail DK, Alzahrani MAM, Martin KR, Calver BL, Harwood AJ, MacKeigan JP, Davies DM, Tee AR. Loss of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 confers inflammation via dysregulation of Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4569999. [PMID: 39070657 PMCID: PMC11275973 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4569999/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Background Aberrant activation of mTORC1 is clearly defined in TSC, causing uncontrolled cell growth. While mTORC1 inhibitors show efficacy to stabilise tumour growth in TSC, they are not fully curative. Disease facets of TSC that are not restored with mTOR inhibitors might involve NF-κB. The study aimed to characterise NF-κB in the context of TSC. Results Enrichment of NF-κB-regulated genes was observed in TSC patient tumours, SEN/SEGAs, cortical tubers and a TSC tumour-derived cell line (621 - 101). Highlighting an inflammatory component of TSC, TSC cell models showed an elevated level of NF-κB and STAT3 activation. Herein, we report a dysregulated inflammatory phenotype of TSC2-deficient cells where NF-κB promotes autocrine signalling involving IL-6. Of importance, mTORC1 inhibition does not block this inflammatory signal to promote STAT3, while NF-κB inhibition was much more effective. Combined mTORC1 and NF-κB inhibition was potent at preventing anchorage-independent growth of TSC2-deficient cells, and unlike mTORC1 inhibition alone was sufficient to prevent colony regrowth after cessation of treatment. Conclusion This study reveals autocrine signalling crosstalk between NF-κB and STAT3 in TSC cell models. Furthermore, the data presented indicate that NF-κB pathway inhibitors could be a viable adjunct therapy with the current mTOR inhibitors to treat TSC.
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12
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Le Belle JE, Condro M, Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Tessema K, Dudley L, Schoenfield J, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind D, Silva AJ, Zhang Z, Shokat K, Harris NG, Kornblum HI. Acute rapamycin treatment reveals novel mechanisms of behavioral, physiological, and functional dysfunction in a maternal inflammation mouse model of autism and sensory over-responsivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602602. [PMID: 39026891 PMCID: PMC11257517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Maternal inflammatory response (MIR) during early gestation in mice induces a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes that have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a prior study and the current one, we find that mild MIR results in chronic systemic and neuro-inflammation, mTOR pathway activation, mild brain overgrowth followed by regionally specific volumetric changes, sensory processing dysregulation, and social and repetitive behavior abnormalities. Prior studies of rapamycin treatment in autism models have focused on chronic treatments that might be expected to alter or prevent physical brain changes. Here, we have focused on the acute effects of rapamycin to uncover novel mechanisms of dysfunction and related to mTOR pathway signaling. We find that within 2 hours, rapamycin treatment could rapidly rescue neuronal hyper-excitability, seizure susceptibility, functional network connectivity and brain community structure, and repetitive behaviors and sensory over-responsivity in adult offspring with persistent brain overgrowth. These CNS-mediated effects are also associated with alteration of the expression of several ASD-,ion channel-, and epilepsy-associated genes, in the same time frame. Our findings suggest that mTOR dysregulation in MIR offspring is a key contributor to various levels of brain dysfunction, including neuronal excitability, altered gene expression in multiple cell types, sensory functional network connectivity, and modulation of information flow. However, we demonstrate that the adult MIR brain is also amenable to rapid normalization of these functional changes which results in the rescue of both core and comorbid ASD behaviors in adult animals without requiring long-term physical alterations to the brain. Thus, restoring excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and sensory functional network modularity may be important targets for therapeutically addressing both primary sensory and social behavior phenotypes, and compensatory repetitive behavior phenotypes.
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13
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Lei X, Xie XN, Yang JX, Li YM. The emerging role of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2024; 337:115954. [PMID: 38744180 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115954] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by restricted, repetitive behavioral patterns and deficits in social interactions. The prevalence of ASD has continued to rise in recent years. However, the etiology and pathophysiology of ASD remain largely unknown. Currently, the diagnosis of ASD relies on behavior measures, and there is a lack of reliable and objective biomarkers. In addition, there are still no effective pharmacologic therapies for the core symptoms of ASD. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer nanovesicles secreted by almost all types of cells. EVs play a vital role in cell-cell communications and are known to bear various biological functions. Emerging evidence demonstrated that EVs are involved in many physiological and pathological processes throughout the body and the content in EVs can reflect the status of the originating cells. EVs have demonstrated the potential of broad applications for the diagnosis and treatment of various brain diseases, suggesting that EVs may have also played a role in the pathological process of ASD. Besides, EVs can be utilized as therapeutic agents for their endogenous substances and biological functions. Additionally, EVs can serve as drug delivery tools as nano-sized vesicles with inherent targeting ability. Here, we discuss the potential of EVs to be considered as promising diagnostic biomarkers and their potential therapeutic applications for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Lei
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; School of Public Health, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Xue-Ni Xie
- Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
| | - Jia-Xin Yang
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China
| | - Ya-Min Li
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, PR China.
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14
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Xu X, Li F, Liu C, Wang Y, Yang Z, Xie G, Zhang T. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation alleviates abnormal behavior in valproic acid rat model of autism through rescuing synaptic plasticity and inhibiting neuroinflammation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173788. [PMID: 38734150 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173788] [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: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with no effective treatment available currently. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a promising neuromodulation technique to treat autism. However, the mechanism how rTMS works remains unclear, which restrict the clinical application of magnetic stimulation in the autism treatment. In this study, we investigated the effect of low-frequency rTMS on the autistic-like symptoms and explored if this neuroprotective effect was associated with synaptic plasticity and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. A rat model of autism was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats and male offspring were treated with 1 Hz rTMS daily for two weeks continuously. Behavior tests were performed to identify behavioral abnormality. Synaptic plasticity was measured by in vivo electrophysiological recording and Golgi-Cox staining. Synapse and inflammation associated proteins were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses. Results showed prenatal VPA-exposed rats exhibited autistic-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and cognitive impairment. Synaptic plasticity deficits and the abnormality expression of synapse-associated proteins were found in the hippocampus of prenatal VPA-exposed rats. Prenatal VPA exposure increased the level of inflammation cytokines and promoted the excessive activation of microglia. rTMS significantly alleviated the prenatal VPA-induced abnormalities including behavioral and synaptic plasticity deficits, and excessive neuroinflammation. TMS maybe a potential strategy for autism therapy via rescuing synaptic plasticity and inhibiting neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, 300130 Tianjin, China; College of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials Ministry of Education, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Fangjuan Li
- College of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials Ministry of Education, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Chunhua Liu
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Yue Wang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China
| | - Guoming Xie
- Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, 315040 Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Tao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials Ministry of Education, Nankai University, 300071 Tianjin, China.
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15
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Shen J, Liu L, Yang Y, Zhou M, Xu S, Zhang W, Zhang C. Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Has the Potential to Be Used as a Diagnostic Tool and Treatment Target for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cureus 2024; 16:e65393. [PMID: 39188438 PMCID: PMC11346671 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.65393] [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] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, is characterized by social impairment and repetitive and stereotypic behaviors. Because of the lack of approved laboratory diagnostic markers and effective therapeutic medications, it is one of the most challenging diseases. Therefore, it is urgent to explore potential diagnosis markers or therapeutic targets. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a neurotrophic growth factor that enhances brain development. IGF-1 levels in body fluids are lower in preschool children with ASD than in typically developing children, which may serve as a potential diagnostic marker. In various ASD models associated with genetic or environmental exposure, IGF-1 treatment can improve core symptoms or pathological changes, including neuronal development, neural cell survival, balance of synaptic excitation and inhibition, neuroimmunology, and oxidative stress status. In March 2023 an IGF-1 derivative was approved as the first drug for treating Rett syndrome, an ASD-related neurodevelopmental disorder, to improve fundamental symptoms such as social communication. Thus, in this review, we present accumulating evidence of altered IGF-1 levels in ASD patients and the possible mechanisms, as well as evidence that IGF-1 treatment improves the pathophysiology in various ASD models. IGF-1 has the potential to be an early diagnosis marker and an effective therapeutic for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Shen
- Department of Children Health Care, Jingmen Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jingmen, CHN
| | - Lijuan Liu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, CHN
| | - Yifan Yang
- Department of Children Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, CHN
| | - Miao Zhou
- Department of Children Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, CHN
| | - Shan Xu
- Department of Children Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, CHN
| | - Wanqing Zhang
- Department of Children Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, CHN
| | - Chuanjie Zhang
- Department of Children Health Care, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, CHN
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16
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Liang ZK, Xiong W, Wang C, Chen L, Zou X, Mai JW, Dong B, Guo C, Xin WJ, Luo DX, Xu T, Feng X. Resolving neuroinflammatory and social deficits in ASD model mice: Dexmedetomidine downregulates NF-κB/IL-6 pathway via α2AR. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:84-95. [PMID: 38552922 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.040] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that severely affects individuals' daily life and social development. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective treatments for ASD. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a selective agonist of α2 adrenergic receptor (α2AR) and is widely used as a first-line medication for sedation and hypnosis in clinical practice. In recent years, there have been reports suggesting its potential positive effects on improving emotional and cognitive functions. However, whether dexmedetomidine has therapeutic effects on the core symptoms of ASD, namely social deficits and repetitive behaviors, remains to be investigated. In the present study, we employed various behavioral tests to assess the phenotypes of animals, including the three-chamber, self-grooming, marble burying, open field, and elevated plus maze. Additionally, electrophysiological recordings, western blotting, qPCR were mainly used to investigate and validate the potential mechanisms underlying the role of dexmedetomidine. We found that intraperitoneal injection of dexmedetomidine in ASD model mice-BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice could adaptively improve their social deficits. Further, we observed a significant reduction in c-Fos positive signals and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression level in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) of the BTBR mice treated with dexmedetomidine. Enhancing or inhibiting the action of IL-6 directly affects the social behavior of BTBR mice. Mechanistically, we have found that NF-κB p65 is a key pathway regulating IL-6 expression in the PrL region. In addition, we have confirmed that the α2AR acts as a receptor switch mediating the beneficial effects of dexmedetomidine in improving social deficits. This study provides the first evidence of the beneficial effects of dexmedetomidine on core symptoms of ASD and offers a theoretical basis and potential therapeutic approach for the clinical treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Kai Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Li Chen
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Xin Zou
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Jing-Wen Mai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou 516000, PR China
| | - Bo Dong
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Chongqi Guo
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Xin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - De-Xing Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou 516000, PR China.
| | - Ting Xu
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
| | - Xia Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
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17
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Pedrazzi JFC, Hassib L, Ferreira FR, Hallak JC, Del-Bel E, Crippa JA. Therapeutic potential of CBD in Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 177:149-203. [PMID: 39029984 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. Despite extensive research, effective pharmacological interventions for ASD remain limited. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotomimetic compound of the Cannabis sativa plant, has potential therapeutic effects on several neurological and psychiatric disorders. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a complex cell-signaling system that plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, maintaining homeostasis, participating in social and behavioral processing, and neuronal development and maturation with great relevance to ASD. Furthermore, preliminary findings from clinical trials indicate that CBD may have a modulatory effect on specific ASD symptoms and comorbidities in humans. Interestingly, emerging evidence suggests that CBD may influence the gut microbiota, with implications for the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system. CBD is a safe drug with low induction of side effects. As it has a multi-target pharmacological profile, it becomes a candidate compound for treating the central symptoms and comorbidities of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- João F C Pedrazzi
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Hassib
- Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Jaime C Hallak
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elaine Del-Bel
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; National Institute for Science and Technology, Translational Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Cannabinoid Research, Mental Health Building, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - José A Crippa
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Jyonouchi H. Autism spectrum disorder and a possible role of anti-inflammatory treatments: experience in the pediatric allergy/immunology clinic. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1333717. [PMID: 38979496 PMCID: PMC11228311 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1333717] [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: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD1) is a behaviorally defined syndrome encompassing a markedly heterogeneous patient population. Many ASD subjects fail to respond to the 1st line behavioral and pharmacological interventions, leaving parents to seek out other treatment options. Evidence supports that neuroinflammation plays a role in ASD pathogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms likely vary for each ASD patient, influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Although anti-inflammatory treatment measures, mainly based on metabolic changes and oxidative stress, have provided promising results in some ASD subjects, the use of such measures requires the careful selection of ASD subjects based on clinical and laboratory findings. Recent progress in neuroscience and molecular immunology has made it possible to allow re-purposing of currently available anti-inflammatory medications, used for autoimmune and other chronic inflammatory conditions, as treatment options for ASD subjects. On the other hand, emerging anti-inflammatory medications, including biologic and gate-keeper blockers, exert powerful anti-inflammatory effects on specific mediators or signaling pathways. It will require both a keen understanding of the mechanisms of action of such agents and the careful selection of ASD patients suitable for each treatment. This review will attempt to summarize the use of anti-inflammatory agents already used in targeting ASD patients, and then emerging anti-inflammatory measures applicable for ASD subjects based on scientific rationale and clinical trial data, if available. In our experience, some ASD patients were treated under diagnoses of autoimmune/autoinflammatory conditions and/or post-infectious neuroinflammation. However, there are little clinical trial data specifically for ASD subjects. Therefore, these emerging immunomodulating agents for potential use for ASD subjects will be discussed based on preclinical data, case reports, or data generated in patients with other medical conditions. This review will hopefully highlight the expanding scope of immunomodulating agents for treating neuroinflammation in ASD subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harumi Jyonouchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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19
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Zheng L, Jiao Y, Zhong H, Tan Y, Yin Y, Liu Y, Liu D, Wu M, Wang G, Huang J, Wang P, Qin M, Wang M, Xiao Y, Lv T, Luo Y, Hu H, Hou ST, Kui L. Human-derived fecal microbiota transplantation alleviates social deficits of the BTBR mouse model of autism through a potential mechanism involving vitamin B 6 metabolism. mSystems 2024; 9:e0025724. [PMID: 38780265 PMCID: PMC11237617 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00257-24] [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: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication deficiencies and stereotypic behaviors influenced by hereditary and/or environmental risk factors. There are currently no approved medications for treating the core symptoms of ASD. Human fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a potential intervention to improve autistic symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we evaluated the effects of human-derived FMT on behavioral and multi-omics profiles of the BTBR mice, an established model for ASD. FMT effectively alleviated the social deficits in the BTBR mice and normalized their distinct plasma metabolic profile, notably reducing the elevated long-chain acylcarnitines. Integrative analysis linked these phenotypic changes to specific Bacteroides species and vitamin B6 metabolism. Indeed, vitamin B6 supplementation improved the social behaviors in BTBR mice. Collectively, these findings shed new light on the interplay between FMT and vitamin B6 metabolism and revealed a potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic role of FMT in ASD.IMPORTANCEAccumulating evidence supports the beneficial effects of human fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the precise mechanism by which FMT induces a shift in the microbiota and leads to symptom improvement remains incompletely understood. This study integrated data from colon-content metagenomics, colon-content metabolomics, and plasma metabolomics to investigate the effects of FMT treatment on the BTBR mouse model for ASD. The analysis linked the amelioration of social deficits following FMT treatment to the restoration of mitochondrial function and the modulation of vitamin B6 metabolism. Bacterial species and compounds with beneficial roles in vitamin B6 metabolism and mitochondrial function may further contribute to improving FMT products and designing novel therapies for ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifeng Zheng
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Neuroscience, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Xbiome Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Yinming Jiao
- Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haolin Zhong
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Neuroscience, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Tan
- Xbiome Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | | | | | - Ding Liu
- Xbiome Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Manli Wu
- Xbiome Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Guoyun Wang
- Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Ping Wang
- Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meirong Qin
- Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingbang Wang
- Microbiome Therapy Center, South China Hospital, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, National Center for Children’s Health, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Hematology, Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tiying Lv
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangzi Luo
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Han Hu
- Xbiome Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Neuroscience, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ling Kui
- Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Adiguzel E, Bozkurt NM, Unal G. Independent and combined effects of astaxanthin and omega-3 on behavioral deficits and molecular changes in a prenatal valproic acid model of autism in rats. Nutr Neurosci 2024; 27:590-606. [PMID: 37534957 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2023.2239575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Autism is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder and recent studies showed that omega-3 or astaxanthin might reduce autistic symptoms due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, we investigated the effects of omega-3 and astaxanthin on the VPA-induced autism model of rats.Material and Methods: Female Wistar albino pups (n = 40) were grouped as control, autistic, astaxanthin (2 mg/kg), omega-3 (200 mg/kg), and astaxanthin (2 mg/kg)+omega-3 (200 mg/kg). All groups except the control were prenatally exposed to VPA. Astaxanthin and omega-3 were orally administered from the postnatal day 41 to 68 and behavioral tests were performed between day 69 and 73. The rats were decapitated 24 h after the behavioral tests and hippocampal and prefrontal cytokines and 5-HT levels were analyzed by ELISA.Results: VPA rats have increased grooming behavior while decreased sociability (SI), social preference index (SPI), discrimination index (DI), and prepulse inhibition (PPI) compared to control. Additionally, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels increased while IL-10 and 5-HT levels decreased in both brain regions. Astaxanthin treatment raised SI, SPI, DI, PPI, and prefrontal IL-10 levels. It also raised 5-HT levels and decreased IL-6 levels in both brain regions. Omega-3 and astaxanthin + omega-3 increased the SI, SPI, DI, and PPI and decreased grooming behavior. Moreover, they increased IL-10 and 5-HT levels whereas decreased IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ levels in both brain regions.Conclusions: Our results showed that VPA administration mimicked the behavioral and molecular changes of autism in rats. Single and combined administration of astaxanthin and omega-3 improved the autistic-like behavioral and molecular changes in the VPA model of rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Adiguzel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Türkiye
| | - Nuh Mehmet Bozkurt
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Experimental Research and Application Center (DEKAM), Brain Research Unit, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- e-Neuro Lab, Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Gokhan Unal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Experimental Research and Application Center (DEKAM), Brain Research Unit, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- e-Neuro Lab, Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
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21
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Mahmoudian M, Lorigooini Z, Rahimi-Madiseh M, Shabani S, Amini-Khoei H. Protective effects of rosmarinic acid against autistic-like behaviors in a mouse model of maternal separation stress: behavioral and molecular amendments. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03143-2. [PMID: 38730077 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03143-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with worldwide increasing incidence. Maternal separation (MS) stress at the beginning of life with its own neuroendocrine changes can provide the basis for development of ASD. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a phenolic compound with a protective effect in neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of RA on autistic-like behaviors in maternally separated mice focusing on its possible effects on neuroimmune response and nitrite levels in the hippocampus. In this study, 40 mice were randomly divided into five groups of control (received normal saline (1 ml/kg)) and MS that were treated with normal saline (1 ml/kg) or doses of 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg RA, respectively, for 14 days. Three-chamber sociability, shuttle box, and marble burying tests were used to investigate autistic-like behaviors. Nitrite level and gene expression of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR4, and iNOS were assessed in the hippocampus. The results showed that RA significantly increased the social preference and social novelty indexes, as well as attenuated impaired passive avoidance memory and the occurrence of repetitive and obsessive behaviors in the MS mice. RA reduced the nitrite level and gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus. RA, probably via attenuation of the nitrite level as well as of the neuroimmune response in the hippocampus, mitigated autistic-like behaviors in maternally separated mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maziar Mahmoudian
- Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Lorigooini
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahimi-Madiseh
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Sahreh Shabani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
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22
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Nagai Y, Kirino E, Tanaka S, Usui C, Inami R, Inoue R, Hattori A, Uchida W, Kamagata K, Aoki S. Functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorder evaluated using rs-fMRI and DKI. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:129-145. [PMID: 38012112 PMCID: PMC11065111 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad451] [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: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated functional connectivity (FC) in patients with adult autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). We acquired rs-fMRI data from 33 individuals with ASD and 33 healthy controls (HC) and DKI data from 18 individuals with ASD and 17 HC. ASD showed attenuated FC between the right frontal pole (FP) and the bilateral temporal fusiform cortex (TFusC) and enhanced FC between the right thalamus and the bilateral inferior division of lateral occipital cortex, and between the cerebellar vermis and the right occipital fusiform gyrus (OFusG) and the right lingual gyrus, compared with HC. ASD demonstrated increased axial kurtosis (AK) and mean kurtosis (MK) in white matter (WM) tracts, including the right anterior corona radiata (ACR), forceps minor (FM), and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). In ASD, there was also a significant negative correlation between MK and FC between the cerebellar vermis and the right OFusG in the corpus callosum, FM, right SLF and right ACR. Increased DKI metrics might represent neuroinflammation, increased complexity, or disrupted WM tissue integrity that alters long-distance connectivity. Nonetheless, protective or compensating adaptations of inflammation might lead to more abundant glial cells and cytokine activation effectively alleviating the degeneration of neurons, resulting in increased complexity. FC abnormality in ASD observed in rs-fMRI may be attributed to microstructural alterations of the commissural and long-range association tracts in WM as indicated by DKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhito Nagai
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Eiji Kirino
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, 1129 Nagaoka Izunokuni-shi Shizuoka 410-2295, Japan
- Juntendo Institute of Mental Health, 700-1 Fukuroyama Koshigaya-shi Saitama 343-0032, Japan
| | - Shoji Tanaka
- Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1 Kioi-cho Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
| | - Chie Usui
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Rie Inami
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Reiichi Inoue
- Juntendo Institute of Mental Health, 700-1 Fukuroyama Koshigaya-shi Saitama 343-0032, Japan
| | - Aki Hattori
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Wataru Uchida
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Koji Kamagata
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
- Faculty of Health Data Science, Juntendo University, 6-8-1 Hinode Urayasu-shi Chiba 279-0013, Japan
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23
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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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24
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Mao Y, Lin X, Wu Y, Lu J, Shen J, Zhong S, Jin X, Ma J. Additive interaction between birth asphyxia and febrile seizures on autism spectrum disorder: a population-based study. Mol Autism 2024; 15:17. [PMID: 38600595 PMCID: PMC11007945 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00596-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that can significantly impact an individual's ability to socially integrate and adapt. It's crucial to identify key factors associated with ASD. Recent studies link both birth asphyxia (BA) and febrile seizures (FS) separately to higher ASD prevalence. However, investigations into the interplay of BA and FS and its relationship with ASD are yet to be conducted. The present study mainly focuses on exploring the interactive effect between BA and FS in the context of ASD. METHODS Utilizing a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling, we initially recruited 84,934 Shanghai children aged 3-12 years old from June 2014 to June 2015, ultimately including 74,251 post-exclusion criteria. A logistic regression model was conducted to estimate the interaction effect after controlling for pertinent covariates. The attributable proportion (AP), the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), the synergy index (SI), and multiplicative-scale interaction were computed to determine the interaction effect. RESULTS Among a total of 74,251 children, 192 (0.26%) were diagnosed with ASD. The adjusted odds ratio for ASD in children with BA alone was 3.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.42-6.02), for FS alone 3.06 (95%CI 1.48-6.31), and for comorbid BA and FS 21.18 (95%CI 9.10-49.30), versus children without BA or FS. The additive interaction between BA and FS showed statistical significance (P < 0.001), whereas the multiplicative interaction was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS This study can only demonstrate the relationship between the interaction of BA and FS with ASD but cannot prove causation. Animal brain experimentation is necessary to unravel its neural mechanisms. A larger sample size, ongoing monitoring, and detailed FS classification are needed for confirming BA-FS interaction in ASD. CONCLUSION In this extensive cross-sectional study, both BA and FS were significantly linked to ASD. The coexistence of these factors was associated with an additive increase in ASD prevalence, surpassing the cumulative risk of each individual factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Mao
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Xindi Lin
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yuhan Wu
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jiayi Lu
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jiayao Shen
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Shaogen Zhong
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Xingming Jin
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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25
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Ye J, Fan H, Shi R, Song G, Wu X, Wang D, Xia B, Zhao Z, Zhao B, Liu X, Wang Y, Dai X. Dietary lipoic acid alleviates autism-like behavior induced by acrylamide in adolescent mice: the potential involvement of the gut-brain axis. Food Funct 2024; 15:3395-3410. [PMID: 38465655 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo05078e] [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: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Consuming fried foods has been associated with an increased susceptibility to mental health disorders. Nevertheless, the impact of alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA, LA) on fried food-induced autism-like behavior remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how LA affects autism-related behavior and cognitive deficits caused by acrylamide in mice, a representative food hazard found in fried foods. This improvement was accomplished by enhanced synaptic plasticity, increased neurotrophin expression, elevated calcium-binding protein D28k, and restored serotonin. Additionally, LA substantially influenced the abundance of bacteria linked to autism and depression, simultaneously boosted short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in fecal samples, and induced changes in serum amino acid concentrations. In summary, these findings suggested that exposure to acrylamide in adolescent mice could induce the development of social disorders in adulthood. LA showed promise as a nutritional intervention strategy to tackle emotional disorders during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ye
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Hua Fan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Renjie Shi
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Ge Song
- BGI Institute of Applied Agriculture, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiaoning Wu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Danna Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Bing Xia
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Zhenting Zhao
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Beita Zhao
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Xuebo Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Yutang Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Xiaoshuang Dai
- BGI Institute of Applied Agriculture, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
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26
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Sánchez RM, Bermeo Losada JF, Marín Martínez JA. The research landscape concerning environmental factors in neurodevelopmental disorders: Endocrine disrupters and pesticides-A review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 73:101132. [PMID: 38561126 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101132] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, environmental epidemiology and toxicology have seen a growing interest in the environmental factors that contribute to the increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders, with the purpose of establishing appropriate prevention strategies. A literature review was performed, and 192 articles covering the topic of endocrine disruptors and neurodevelopmental disorders were found, focusing on polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, bisphenol A, and pesticides. This study contributes to analyzing their effect on the molecular mechanism in maternal and infant thyroid function, essential for infant neurodevelopment, and whose alteration has been associated with various neurodevelopmental disorders. The results provide scientific evidence of the association that exists between the environmental neurotoxins and various neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, other possible molecular mechanisms by which pesticides and endocrine disruptors may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders are being discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Mira Sánchez
- Universidad de Murcia, Spain; Instituto de Ciencias Medioambientales y Neurodesarrollo ICMYN, Murcia, Spain.
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Sandhu A, Rawat K, Gautam V, Bhatia A, Grover S, Saini L, Saha L. Ameliorating effect of pioglitazone on prenatal valproic acid-induced behavioral and neurobiological abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 237:173721. [PMID: 38307465 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173721] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder that mainly arises due to abnormalities in different brain regions, resulting in behavioral deficits. Besides its diverse phenotypical features, ASD is associated with complex and varied etiology, presenting challenges in understanding its precise neuro-pathophysiology. Pioglitazone was reported to have a fundamental role in neuroprotection in various other neurological disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of pioglitazone in the prenatal valproic acid (VPA)-model of ASD in Wistar rats. Pregnant female Wistar rats received VPA on Embryonic day (E.D12.5) to induce autistic-like-behavioral and neurobiological alterations in their offspring. VPA-exposed rats presented core behavioral symptoms of ASD such as deficits in social interaction, poor spatial and learning behavior, increased anxiety, locomotory and repetitive activity, and decreased exploratory activity. Apart from these, VPA exposure also stimulated neurochemical and histopathological neurodegeneration in various brain regions. We administered three different doses of pioglitazone i.e., 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg in rats to assess various parameters. Of all the doses, our study highlighted that 10 mg/kg pioglitazone efficiently attenuated the autistic symptoms along with other neurochemical alterations such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis. Moreover, pioglitazone significantly attenuated the neurodegeneration by restoring the neuronal loss in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Taken together, our study suggests that pioglitazone exhibits therapeutic potential in alleviating behavioral abnormalities induced by prenatal VPA exposure in rats. However, further research is needed to fully understand and establish pioglitazone's effectiveness in treating ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arushi Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), 4th Floor, Research Block B, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Kajal Rawat
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), 4th Floor, Research Block B, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Vipasha Gautam
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), 4th Floor, Research Block B, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Alka Bhatia
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education andResearch (PGIMER), 2nd Floor, Research Block B, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Sandeep Grover
- Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Lokesh Saini
- Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur 342001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Lekha Saha
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), 4th Floor, Research Block B, Chandigarh 160012, India.
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28
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Reisi-Vanani V, Lorigooini Z, Bijad E, Amini-Khoei H. Maternal separation stress through triggering of the neuro-immune response in the hippocampus induces autistic-like behaviors in male mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:87-98. [PMID: 38110192 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10310] [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: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disease throughout the world. Neuro-immune responses from prenatal to adulthood stages of life induce developmental defects in synaptic signaling, neurotransmitter imbalance, and even structural changes in the brain. In this study, we aimed to focus on the possible role of neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus in development of the autistic-like behaviors following maternal separation (MS) stress in mice. To do this, mice neonates daily separated from their mothers from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 14 for 3 h. During PND45-60, behavioral tests related to autistic-like behaviors including three-chamber sociability, Morris water maze (MWM), shuttle box, resident-intruder, and marble burying tests were performed. Then, hippocampi were dissected out, and the gene expression of inflammatory mediators including TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR4, HMGB1, and NLRP3 was assessed in the hippocampus using RT-PCR. Results showed that MS mice exerted impaired sociability preference, repetitive behaviors, impaired passive avoidance, and spatial memories. The gene expression of inflammatory mediators significantly increased in the hippocampi of MS mice. We concluded that MS stress probably via activating of the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling cascade in the hippocampus induced autistic-like behaviors in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Reisi-Vanani
- Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Lorigooini
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Elham Bijad
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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29
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Alayoubi AM, Iqbal M, Aman H, Hashmi JA, Alayadhi L, Al-Regaiey K, Basit S. Loss-of-function variant in spermidine/spermine N1-acetyl transferase like 1 (SATL1) gene as an underlying cause of autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5765. [PMID: 38459140 PMCID: PMC10923806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56253-5] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complicated, lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interactions. ASD signs and symptoms appear early in development before the age of 3 years. It is unlikely for a person to acquire autism after a period of normal development. However, we encountered an 8-year-old child who developed ASD later in life although his developmental milestones were normal at the beginning of life. Sequencing the complete coding part of the genome identified a hemizygous nonsense mutation (NM_001367857.2):c.1803C>G; (p.Tyr601Ter) in the gene (SATL1) encoding spermidine/spermine N1-acetyl transferase like 1. Screening an ASD cohort of 28 isolated patients for the SATL1 gene identified another patient with the same variant. Although SATL1 mutations have not been associated with any human diseases, our data suggests that a mutation in SATL1 is the underlying cause of ASD in our cases. In mammals, mutations in spermine synthase (SMS), an enzyme needed for the synthesis of spermidine polyamine, have been reported in a syndromic form of the X-linked mental retardation. Moreover, SATL1 gene expression studies showed a relatively higher expression of SATL1 transcripts in ASD related parts of the brain including the cerebellum, amygdala and frontal cortex. Additionally, spermidine has been characterized in the context of learning and memory and supplementations with spermidine increase neuroprotective effects and decrease age-induced memory impairment. Furthermore, spermidine biosynthesis is required for spontaneous axonal regeneration and prevents α-synuclein neurotoxicity in invertebrate models. Thus, we report, for the first time, that a mutation in the SATL1 gene could be a contributing factor in the development of autistic symptoms in our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulfatah M Alayoubi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Taibah University Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Iqbal
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan Aman
- Al-Amal Psychiatry Hospital Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarrah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jamil A Hashmi
- Center for Genetics and Inherited Diseases, Taibah University Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarrah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laila Alayadhi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Autism Research and Treatment Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Al-Regaiey
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sulman Basit
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Taibah University Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia.
- Center for Genetics and Inherited Diseases, Taibah University Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarrah, Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Taibah University Medina, Almadinah Almunawwarrah, Saudi Arabia.
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Shi G, Zhang C, Bai X, Sun J, Wang K, Meng Q, Li Y, Hu G, Hu R, Cai Q, Huang M. A potential mechanism clue to the periodic storm from microglia activation and progressive neuron damage induced by paraquat exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:1874-1888. [PMID: 38189626 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Paraquat (PQ), is characterized by neurotoxicity, which increases the potential risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) exposure in the long-term and low doses. Triggering microglia activation and neuroinflammation is deemed an early event resulting in PD. However, the underlying pathogenesis of PD by PQ is not clear yet. In this article, C57BL/6J mice treated with PQ could successfully act out Parkinson-like. In addition, we observed the fluorescence intensity enhancement of Iba-1 activated microglia with released pro-inflammatory, all ahead of both the damage of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of the brain. Surprisingly, the injection of minocycline before PQ for many hours not only can effectively improve the neurobehavioral symptoms of mice but inhibit the activation of microglia and the release of pro-inflammatory substances, even controlling the gradual damage and loss of neurons. A further mechanism of minocycline hampered the expression levels of key signaling proteins PI3K, PDK1, p-AKT, and CD11b (the receptor of microglia membrane recognition), while a large number of inflammatory factors. Our results suggested that the CD11b/PI3K/NOX2 pathway may be a clue that microglia-mediated inflammatory responses and neuronal damage in a PQ-induced abnormal behavior Parkinson-like mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Shi
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Xinghua Bai
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Jian Sun
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - KaiDong Wang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Qi Meng
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Guiling Hu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Rong Hu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Qian Cai
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Min Huang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, School of Public Health of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
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31
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Misrani A, Tabassum S, Zhang ZY, Tan SH, Long C. Urolithin A Prevents Sleep-deprivation-induced Neuroinflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Young and Aged Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:1448-1466. [PMID: 37725214 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03651-x] [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: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and negatively affects people of all ages. Cognitive impairment induced by SD involves neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Urolithin A (UA) is a natural compound that can reduce neuroinflammation and improve mitochondrial health, but its therapeutic effects in a SD model have not yet been studied. Young (3-months old) and aged (12-months old) mice were sleep deprived for 24 h, and UA (2.5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 7 consecutive days before the SD period. Immunofluorescent staining, western blotting, and RT-PCR were employed to evaluate levels of proteins involved in neuroinflammation and mitochondrial function. Transmission electron microscope and Golgi-Cox staining were used to evaluate mitochondrial and neuronal morphology, respectively. Finally, contextual fear conditioning and the Morris water maze test were conducted to assess hippocampal learning and memory. In the hippocampus of young (3 months-old) and aged (12 months-old) mice subjected to 24 h SD, pretreatment with UA prevented the activation of microglia and astrocytes, NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling and IL-1β, IL6, TNF-α cytokine production, thus ameliorating neuroinflammation. Furthermore, UA also attenuated SD-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, normalized autophagy and mitophagy and protected hippocampal neuronal morphology. Finally, UA prevented SD-induced hippocampal memory impairment. Cumulatively, the results show that UA imparts cognitive protection by reducing neuroinflammation and enhancing mitochondrial function in SD mice. This suggests that UA shows promise as a therapeutic for the treatment of SD-induced neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afzal Misrani
- South China Normal University-Panyu Central Hospital Joint Laboratory of Translational Medical Research, Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Sidra Tabassum
- South China Normal University-Panyu Central Hospital Joint Laboratory of Translational Medical Research, Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zai-Yong Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
- Cardiovascular Institute of Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Shao-Hua Tan
- Department of Neurology, Panyu District Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Cheng Long
- South China Normal University-Panyu Central Hospital Joint Laboratory of Translational Medical Research, Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China.
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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32
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Vitor-Vieira F, Patriarcha PP, Rojas VCT, Parreiras SS, Giusti FCV, Giusti-Paiva A. Influence of maternal immune activation on autism-like symptoms and coping strategies in male offspring. Physiol Behav 2024; 275:114432. [PMID: 38081404 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114432] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) caused by exposure to pathogens or inflammation during critical periods of gestation increased susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, in the offspring. In the present work, we aimed to provide characterization of the long-term consequences on anxiety-like behavior and cardiovascular stress response of MIA in the offspring. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MIA by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adult male offspring. In our study, the animals were subjected to a range of behavioral and physiological tests, including the elevated plus maze, social interaction, cat odor response, open field behavior, contextual fear conditioning, and cardiovascular responses during restraint stress. In the offspring of MIA, our study unveiled distinct anxious behaviors. This was evident by fewer entries into the open arms of the maze, diminished anti-thigmotaxis in the open field, and a decrease in social interaction time. Moreover, these rats showed heightened sensitivity to cat odor, exhibited prolonged freezing during fear conditioning, and presented elevated 22 Hz ultrasonic vocalizations. Notably, during restraint stress, these animals manifested an augmented blood pressure response, and this was associated with an increase in c-fos expression in the locus coeruleus compared to the control group. These findings collectively underline the extensive behavioral and physiological alterations stemming from MIA. This study deepens our understanding of the significance of maternal health in predisposing offspring to neurobehavioral deficits and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Vitor-Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (Unifal-MG), Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Pedro P Patriarcha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (Unifal-MG), Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Viviana Carolina T Rojas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (Unifal-MG), Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Sheila S Parreiras
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (Unifal-MG), Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Giusti-Paiva
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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Hediyal TA, Vichitra C, Anand N, Bhaskaran M, Essa SM, Kumar P, Qoronfleh MW, Akbar M, Kaul-Ghanekar R, Mahalakshmi AM, Yang J, Song BJ, Monaghan TM, Sakharkar MK, Chidambaram SB. Protective effects of fecal microbiota transplantation against ischemic stroke and other neurological disorders: an update. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1324018. [PMID: 38449863 PMCID: PMC10915229 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1324018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The bidirectional communication between the gut and brain or gut-brain axis is regulated by several gut microbes and microbial derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, and lipopolysaccharides. The Gut microbiota (GM) produce neuroactives, specifically neurotransmitters that modulates local and central neuronal brain functions. An imbalance between intestinal commensals and pathobionts leads to a disruption in the gut microbiota or dysbiosis, which affects intestinal barrier integrity and gut-immune and neuroimmune systems. Currently, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is recommended for the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. FMT elicits its action by ameliorating inflammatory responses through the restoration of microbial composition and functionality. Thus, FMT may be a potential therapeutic option in suppressing neuroinflammation in post-stroke conditions and other neurological disorders involving the neuroimmune axis. Specifically, FMT protects against ischemic injury by decreasing IL-17, IFN-γ, Bax, and increasing Bcl-2 expression. Interestingly, FMT improves cognitive function by lowering amyloid-β accumulation and upregulating synaptic marker (PSD-95, synapsin-1) expression in Alzheimer's disease. In Parkinson's disease, FMT was shown to inhibit the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB. In this review article, we have summarized the potential sources and methods of administration of FMT and its impact on neuroimmune and cognitive functions. We also provide a comprehensive update on the beneficial effects of FMT in various neurological disorders by undertaking a detailed interrogation of the preclinical and clinical published literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tousif Ahmed Hediyal
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
| | - C. Vichitra
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
| | - Nikhilesh Anand
- Department of Pharmacology, American University of Antigua, College of Medicine, Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Mahendran Bhaskaran
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Frederic and Mary Wolf Centre University of Toledo, Health Science, Toledo, OH, United States
| | - Saeefh M. Essa
- Department of Computer Science, Northwest High School, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi, India
| | - M. Walid Qoronfleh
- Q3CG Research Institute (QRI), Research and Policy Division, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
| | - Mohammed Akbar
- Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ruchika Kaul-Ghanekar
- Symbiosis Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI), Cancer Research Lab, Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences (SSBS), Symbiosis International University (SIU), Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Arehally M. Mahalakshmi
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
| | - Jian Yang
- Drug Discovery and Development Research Group, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Byoung-Joon Song
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Bio-physics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Tanya M. Monaghan
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Meena Kishore Sakharkar
- Drug Discovery and Development Research Group, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, KA, India
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Cheng J, Hu H, Ju Y, Liu J, Wang M, Liu B, Zhang Y. Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids and depression: deep insight into biological mechanisms and potential applications. Gen Psychiatr 2024; 37:e101374. [PMID: 38390241 PMCID: PMC10882305 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2023-101374] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota is a complex and dynamic ecosystem known as the 'second brain'. Composing the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the gut microbiota and its metabolites regulate the central nervous system through neural, endocrine and immune pathways to ensure the normal functioning of the organism, tuning individuals' health and disease status. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the main bioactive metabolites of the gut microbiota, are involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. SCFAs have essential effects on each component of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in depression. In the present review, the roles of major SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) in the pathophysiology of depression are summarised with respect to chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, neuroinflammation, host epigenome and neuroendocrine alterations. Concluding remarks on the biological mechanisms related to gut microbiota will hopefully address the clinical value of microbiota-related treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhe Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hongkun Hu
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yumeng Ju
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mi Wang
- Department of Mental Health Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bangshan Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Gillespie B, Houghton MJ, Ganio K, McDevitt CA, Bennett D, Dunn A, Raju S, Schroeder A, Hill RA, Cardoso BR. Maternal selenium dietary supplementation alters sociability and reinforcement learning deficits induced by in utero exposure to maternal immune activation in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 116:349-361. [PMID: 38142918 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.024] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy increases the risk for the unborn foetus to develop neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia later in life. MIA mouse models recapitulate behavioural and biological phenotypes relevant to both conditions, and are valuable models to test novel treatment approaches. Selenium (Se) has potent anti-inflammatory properties suggesting it may be an effective prophylactic treatment against MIA. The aim of this study was to determine if Se supplementation during pregnancy can prevent adverse effects of MIA on offspring brain and behaviour in a mouse model. Selenium was administered via drinking water (1.5 ppm) to pregnant dams from gestational day (GD) 9 to birth, and MIA was induced at GD17 using polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly-I:C, 20 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection). Foetal placenta and brain cytokine levels were assessed using a Luminex assay and brain elemental nutrients assessed using inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry. Adult offspring were behaviourally assessed using a reinforcement learning paradigm, the three-chamber sociability test and the open field test. MIA elevated placental IL-1β and IL-17, and Se supplementation successfully prevented this elevation. MIA caused an increase in foetal brain calcium, which was prevented by Se supplement. MIA caused in offspring a female-specific reduction in sociability, which was recovered by Se, and a male-specific reduction in social memory, which was not recovered by Se. Exposure to poly-I:C or selenium, but not both, reduced performance in the reinforcement learning task. Computational modelling indicated that this was predominantly due to increased exploratory behaviour, rather than reduced rate of learning the location of the food reward. This study demonstrates that while Se may be beneficial in ameliorating sociability deficits caused by MIA, it may have negative effects in other behavioural domains. Caution in the use of Se supplementation during pregnancy is therefore warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Gillespie
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Michael J Houghton
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia; Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Katherine Ganio
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Christopher A McDevitt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Daniel Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Ariel Dunn
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Sharvada Raju
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Anna Schroeder
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
| | - Rachel A Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
| | - Barbara R Cardoso
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia.
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Li Y, Lu J, Zhang J, Gui W, Xie W. Molecular insights into enriched environments and behavioral improvements in autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1328240. [PMID: 38362032 PMCID: PMC10867156 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1328240] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Aims Autism is a multifaceted developmental disorder of the nervous system, that necessitates novel therapeutic approaches beyond traditional medications and psychosomatic therapy, such as appropriate sensory integration training. This systematic mapping review aims to synthesize existing knowledge on enriching environmental interventions as an alternative avenue for improving autism, guiding future research and practice. Method A comprehensive search using the terms ASD and Enriched Environment was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, ISI, Cochrane, and OVID databases. Most of the literature included in this review was derived from animal model experiments, with a particular focus on assessing the effect of EE on autism-like behavior, along with related pathways and molecular mechanisms. Following extensive group discussion and screening, a total of 19 studies were included for analysis. Results Enriched environmental interventions exhibited the potential to induce both behavioral and biochemical changes, ameliorating autism-like behaviors in animal models. These improvements were attributed to the targeting of BDNF-related pathways, enhanced neurogenesis, and the regulation of glial inflammation. Conclusion This paper underscores the positive impact of enriched environmental interventions on autism through a review of existing literature. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms associated with this intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Li
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jing Lu
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenxin Gui
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Weijie Xie
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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37
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Gao Y, Cai L, Wu Y, Jiang M, Zhang Y, Ren W, Song Y, Li L, Lei Z, Wu Y, Zhu L, Li J, Li D, Li G, Luo C, Tao L. Emerging functions and therapeutic targets of IL-38 in central nervous system diseases. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14550. [PMID: 38334236 PMCID: PMC10853902 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14550] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-38 is a newly discovered cytokine of the IL-1 family, which binds various receptors (i.e., IL-36R, IL-1 receptor accessory protein-like 1, and IL-1R1) in the central nervous system (CNS). The hallmark physiological function of IL-38 is competitive binding to IL-36R, as does the IL-36R antagonist. Emerging research has shown that IL-38 is abnormally expressed in the serum and brain tissue of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting that IL-38 may play an important role in neurological diseases. Important advances include that IL-38 alleviates neuromyelitis optica disorder (NMOD) by inhibiting Th17 expression, improves IS by protecting against atherosclerosis via regulating immune cells and inflammation, and reduces IL-1β and CXCL8 release through inhibiting human microglial activity post-ASD. In contrast, IL-38 mRNA is markedly increased and is mainly expressed in phagocytes in spinal cord injury (SCI). IL-38 ablation attenuated SCI by reducing immune cell infiltration. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of IL-38 in CNS diseases remain inadequately characterized. In this review, we summarize the biological characteristics, pathophysiological role, and potential mechanisms of IL-38 in CNS diseases (e.g., NMOD, Alzheimer's disease, ASD, IS, TBI, and SCI), aiming to explore the therapeutic potential of IL-38 in the prevention and treatment of CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
- Department of NeurosurgeryPennsylvania State University College of MedicineState CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Forensic ScienceWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Luwei Cai
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Yulu Wu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Min Jiang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yidan Zhang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Wenjing Ren
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Yirui Song
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Lili Li
- Department of Child and Adolescent HealthcareChildren's Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Ziguang Lei
- Department of Forensic ScienceWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Youzhuang Wu
- Department of Forensic ScienceWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Luwen Zhu
- Department of Forensic ScienceWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Dongya Li
- Department of OrthopedicsThe Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical UniversityXuzhouChina
| | - Guohong Li
- Department of NeurosurgeryPennsylvania State University College of MedicineState CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Chengliang Luo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
| | - Luyang Tao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouChina
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Islam A, Ronco A, Becker SM, Blackburn J, Schittny JC, Kim K, Stein-Wexler R, Wexler AS. Can lung airway geometry be used to predict autism? A preliminary machine learning-based study. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:457-469. [PMID: 37771211 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25332] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of airway geometry as a biomarker for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Chest computed tomography images of children with a documented diagnosis of ASD as well as healthy controls were identified retrospectively. Fifty-four scans were obtained for analysis, including 31 ASD cases and 23 controls. A feature selection and classification procedure using principal component analysis and support vector machine achieved a peak cross validation accuracy of nearly 89% using a feature set of eight airway branching angles. Sensitivity was 94%, but specificity was only 78%. The results suggest a measurable difference in airway branching angles between children with ASD and the control population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asef Islam
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Anthony Ronco
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Stephen M Becker
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jeremiah Blackburn
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Johannes C Schittny
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kyoungmi Kim
- Department of Public Health Science, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - Anthony S Wexler
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Air Quality Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Rodriguez LA, Tran MN, Garcia-Flores R, Oh S, Phillips RA, Pattie EA, Divecha HR, Kim SH, Shin JH, Lee YK, Montoya C, Jaffe AE, Collado-Torres L, Page SC, Martinowich K. TrkB-dependent regulation of molecular signaling across septal cell types. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:52. [PMID: 38263132 PMCID: PMC10805920 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02758-6] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The lateral septum (LS), a GABAergic structure located in the basal forebrain, is implicated in social behavior, learning, and memory. We previously demonstrated that expression of tropomyosin kinase receptor B (TrkB) in LS neurons is required for social novelty recognition. To better understand molecular mechanisms by which TrkB signaling controls behavior, we locally knocked down TrkB in LS and used bulk RNA-sequencing to identify changes in gene expression downstream of TrkB. TrkB knockdown induces upregulation of genes associated with inflammation and immune responses, and downregulation of genes associated with synaptic signaling and plasticity. Next, we generated one of the first atlases of molecular profiles for LS cell types using single nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq). We identified markers for the septum broadly, and the LS specifically, as well as for all neuronal cell types. We then investigated whether the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by TrkB knockdown map to specific LS cell types. Enrichment testing identified that downregulated DEGs are broadly expressed across neuronal clusters. Enrichment analyses of these DEGs demonstrated that downregulated genes are uniquely expressed in the LS, and associated with either synaptic plasticity or neurodevelopmental disorders. Upregulated genes are enriched in LS microglia, associated with immune response and inflammation, and linked to both neurodegenerative disease and neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, many of these genes are implicated in regulating social behaviors. In summary, the findings implicate TrkB signaling in the LS as a critical regulator of gene networks associated with psychiatric disorders that display social deficits, including schizophrenia and autism, and with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel A Rodriguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Matthew Nguyen Tran
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Renee Garcia-Flores
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seyun Oh
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Robert A Phillips
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Pattie
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Heena R Divecha
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sun Hong Kim
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joo Heon Shin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yong Kyu Lee
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Carly Montoya
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Andrew E Jaffe
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Leonardo Collado-Torres
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Stephanie C Page
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Keri Martinowich
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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40
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Huang ZY, Lyu ZP, Li HG, You HZ, Yang XN, Cha CH. Des-Arg(9) bradykinin as a causal metabolite for autism spectrum disorder. World J Psychiatry 2024; 14:88-101. [PMID: 38327885 PMCID: PMC10845217 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i1.88] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions can greatly enhance the developmental trajectory of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the etiology of ASD is not completely understood. The presence of confounding factors from environment and genetics has increased the difficulty of the identification of diagnostic biomarkers for ASD. AIM To estimate and interpret the causal relationship between ASD and metabolite profile, taking into consideration both genetic and environmental influences. METHODS A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted using summarized data from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) including a metabolite GWAS dataset covering 453 metabolites from 7824 European and an ASD GWAS dataset comprising 18381 ASD cases and 27969 healthy controls. Metabolites in plasma were set as exposures with ASD as the main outcome. The causal relationships were estimated using the inverse variant weight (IVW) algorithm. We also performed leave-one-out sensitivity tests to validate the robustness of the results. Based on the drafted metabolites, enrichment analysis was conducted to interpret the association via constructing a protein-protein interaction network with multi-scale evidence from databases including Infinome, SwissTargetPrediction, STRING, and Metascape. RESULTS Des-Arg(9)-bradykinin was identified as a causal metabolite that increases the risk of ASD (β = 0.262, SE = 0.064, PIVW = 4.64 × 10-5). The association was robust, with no significant heterogeneity among instrument variables (PMR Egger = 0.663, PIVW = 0.906) and no evidence of pleiotropy (P = 0.949). Neuroinflammation and the response to stimulus were suggested as potential biological processes mediating the association between Des-Arg(9) bradykinin and ASD. CONCLUSION Through the application of MR, this study provides practical insights into the potential causal association between plasma metabolites and ASD. These findings offer perspectives for the discovery of diagnostic or predictive biomarkers to support clinical practice in treating ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yu Huang
- Center for Medical Research on Innovation and Translation, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zi-Pan Lyu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Ave 639798, Singapore
| | - Hong-Gui Li
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hua-Zhi You
- Department of Nutrition, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiang-Na Yang
- Department of Pediatric Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Cai-Hui Cha
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
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41
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Lin P, Zhang Q, Sun J, Li Q, Li D, Zhu M, Fu X, Zhao L, Wang M, Lou X, Chen Q, Liang K, Zhu Y, Qu C, Li Z, Ma P, Wang R, Liu H, Dong K, Guo X, Cheng X, Sun Y, Sun J. A comparison between children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and healthy controls in biomedical factors, trace elements, and microbiota biomarkers: a meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1318637. [PMID: 38283894 PMCID: PMC10813399 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1318637] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition that commonly appears during early childhood. The etiology of ASD remains multifactorial and not yet fully understood. The identification of biomarkers may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of the disorder. The present study aimed to explore the causes of ASD by investigating the key biomedical markers, trace elements, and microbiota factors between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and control subjects. Methods Medline, PubMed, ProQuest, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and EMBSCO databases have been searched for publications from 2012 to 2023 with no language restrictions using the population, intervention, control, and outcome (PICO) approach. Keywords including "autism spectrum disorder," "oxytocin," "GABA," "Serotonin," "CRP," "IL-6," "Fe," "Zn," "Cu," and "gut microbiota" were used for the search. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist was used to assess the article quality, and a random model was used to assess the mean difference and standardized difference between ASD and the control group in all biomedical markers, trace elements, and microbiota factors. Results From 76,217 records, 43 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analyses showed that children with ASD had significantly lower levels of oxytocin (mean differences, MD = -45.691, 95% confidence interval, CI: -61.667, -29.717), iron (MD = -3.203, 95% CI: -4.891, -1.514), and zinc (MD = -6.707, 95% CI: -12.691, -0.722), lower relative abundance of Bifidobacterium (MD = -1.321, 95% CI: -2.403, -0.238) and Parabacteroides (MD = -0.081, 95% CI: -0.148, -0.013), higher levels of c-reactive protein, CRP (MD = 0.401, 95% CI: 0.036, 0.772), and GABA (MD = 0.115, 95% CI: 0.045, 0.186), and higher relative abundance of Bacteroides (MD = 1.386, 95% CI: 0.717, 2.055) and Clostridium (MD = 0.281, 95% CI: 0.035, 0.526) when compared with controls. The results of the overall analyses were stable after performing the sensitivity analyses. Additionally, no substantial publication bias was observed among the studies. Interpretation Children with ASD have significantly higher levels of CRP and GABA, lower levels of oxytocin, iron, and zinc, lower relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Parabacteroides, and higher relative abundance of Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, and Clostridium when compared with controls. These results suggest that these indicators may be a potential biomarker panel for the diagnosis or determining therapeutic targets of ASD. Furthermore, large, sample-based, and randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Lin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianwen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digital Technology in Medical Diagnostics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Hangzhou Calibra Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Sun
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Qingtian Li
- College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyuan Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomei Fu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengxia Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Lou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kangyi Liang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxin Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Caiwei Qu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenhua Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Peijun Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Renyu Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huafen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Digital Technology in Medical Diagnostics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Hangzhou Calibra Diagnostics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Dong
- Institute for Global Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaokui Guo
- Institute for Global Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xunjia Cheng
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Institute of Arthritis Research, Shanghai Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Sun
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute for Integrated Intelligence and Systems, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
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Wang C, Chen W, Jiang Y, Xiao X, Zou Q, Liang J, Zhao Y, Wang Q, Yuan T, Guo R, Liu X, Liu Z. A synbiotic formulation of Lactobacillus reuteri and inulin alleviates ASD-like behaviors in a mouse model: the mediating role of the gut-brain axis. Food Funct 2024; 15:387-400. [PMID: 38099485 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo02663a] [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: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a complex neurodevelopmental disorder marked by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors, may see symptom amelioration through gut microbiota modulation. This study investigates the effects of a synbiotic - specifically a probiotic amplified by prebiotic supplementation - on ASD-like mouse model's social deficiencies. This model was established via valproic acid injection into pregnant females. Post-weaning, male progeny received daily synbiotic treatment, a combination of Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) and inulin, for four weeks. Results indicated that the synbiotic rectified social impairments and attenuated inflammatory cytokine expressions in the brain. Moreover, synbiotic intervention protected gut barrier integrity and altered the gut microbiota composition, enhancing the butyrate-producing Bifidobacterium abundance. The synbiotic elevated metabolites such as butyrate and 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB), alongside upregulated genes associated with 3-HB synthesis in the colon and liver, and brain receptors. Conclusively, the synbiotic combination of L. reuteri and inulin mitigated ASD-related social impairments, partially via their regulatory effect on the gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanchuan Wang
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
- Northwest A&F University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Weixuan Chen
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yishan Jiang
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Qianhui Zou
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Jiarui Liang
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yu Zhao
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Qianxu Wang
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Tian Yuan
- Northwest A&F University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
- Northwest A&F University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Xuebo Liu
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Zhigang Liu
- Laboratory of Functional Chemistry and Nutrition of Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
- Northwest A&F University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
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Butera A, De Simone R, Potenza RL, Sanchez M, Armida M, Campanile D, Di Carlo N, Trenta F, Boirivant M, Ricceri L. Effects of a gut-selective integrin-targeted therapy in male mice exposed to early immune activation, a model for the study of autism spectrum disorder. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:89-100. [PMID: 37793488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To clarify the role of gut mucosal immunity in ASD, we evaluated, in the early-life immune activation (EIA) mouse model, the effects of administration of a monoclonal antibody directed against the integrin alpha4 beta7 (α4β7 mAb), blocking the leukocyte homing into the gut mucosa. EIA is a double-hit variant of the maternal immune-activation (MIA) model, including both prenatal (Poly I:C) and postnatal (LPS) immune challenges. In C57BL6/J EIA male adult offspring mice, IL-1β and IL-17A mRNA colonic tissue content increased when compared with controls. Cytofluorimetric analyses of lymphocytes isolated from mesenteric lymph-nodes (MLN) and spleens of EIA mice show increased percentage of total and CD4+α4β7+, unstimulated and stimulated IL-17A+ and stimulated IFN-γ+ lymphocytes in MLN and CD4+α4β7+ unstimulated and stimulated IL-17A+ and stimulated IFN-γ+ lymphocytes in the spleen. Treatment with anti-α4β7 mAb in EIA male mice was associated with colonic tissue IL-1β, and IL-17A mRNA content and percentage of CD4+ IL-17A+ and IFN-γ+ lymphocytes in MLN and spleens comparable to control mice. The anti-α4β7 mAb treatment rescue social novelty deficit showed in the three-chamber test by EIA male mice. Increased levels of IL-6 and IL-1β and decreased CD68 and TGF-β mRNAs were also observed in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of EIA male mice together with a reduction of BDNF mRNA levels in all brain regions examined. Anti-α4β7 mAb treatment restored the expression of BDNF, TGF-β and CD68 in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Improvement of the gut inflammatory status, obtained by a pharmacological agent acting exclusively at gut level, ameliorates some ASD behavioral features and the neuroinflammatory status. Data provide the first preclinical indication for a therapeutic strategy against gut-immune activation in ASD subjects with peripheral increase of gut-derived (α4β7+) lymphocytes expressing IL-17A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Butera
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta De Simone
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Luisa Potenza
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Sanchez
- Cytometry Unit-Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Armida
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Doriana Campanile
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Nazzareno Di Carlo
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Trenta
- Center for Behavioral Science and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Boirivant
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Laura Ricceri
- Center for Behavioral Science and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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Duarte-Campos JF, Vázquez-Moreno CN, Martínez-Marcial M, Chavarría A, Ramírez-Carreto RJ, Velasco Velázquez MA, De La Fuente-Granada M, González-Arenas A. Changes in neuroinflammatory markers and microglial density in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the C58/J mouse model of autism. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:154-173. [PMID: 38057955 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16204] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse group of neurodevelopmental conditions with complex origins. Individuals with ASD present various neurobiological abnormalities, including an altered immune response in the central nervous system and other tissues. Animal models like the C58/J inbred mouse strain are used to study biological characteristics of ASD. This strain is considered an idiopathic autism model because of its demonstrated reduced social preference and repetitive behaviours. Notably, C58/J mice exhibit alterations in dendritic arbour complexity, density and dendritic spines maturation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), but inflammatory-related changes have not been explored in these mice. In this study, we investigated proinflammatory markers in the hippocampus and PFC of adult male C58/J mice. We discovered elevated levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the hippocampus, suggesting increased inflammation, alongside a reduction in the anti-inflammatory enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1). Conversely, the PFC displayed reduced levels of TNF-α and MCP-1. Microglial analysis revealed higher levels of transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119) and increased microglial density in a region-specific manner of the autistic-like mice, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus. Additionally, an augmented expression of the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 was observed in the hippocampus and PFC of C58/J mice. Microglial morphological analysis shows no evident changes in the hippocampus of mice with autistic-like behaviours versus wild-type strain. These region-specific changes can contribute to modulate processes like inflammation or synaptic pruning in the C58/J mouse model of idiopathic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Duarte-Campos
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - C Noé Vázquez-Moreno
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mónica Martínez-Marcial
- Unidad de Modelos Biológicos, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anahí Chavarría
- Unidad de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Jair Ramírez-Carreto
- Unidad de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marco A Velasco Velázquez
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marisol De La Fuente-Granada
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aliesha González-Arenas
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
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45
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Beach SR, Luccarelli J, Praschan N, Fusunyan M, Fricchione GL. Molecular and immunological origins of catatonia. Schizophr Res 2024; 263:169-177. [PMID: 36966063 PMCID: PMC10517087 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.013] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Catatonia occurs secondary to both primary psychiatric and neuromedical etiologies. Emerging evidence suggests possible linkages between causes of catatonia and neuroinflammation. These include obvious infectious and inflammatory etiologies, common neuromedical illnesses such as delirium, and psychiatric entities such as depression and autism-spectrum disorders. Symptoms of sickness behavior, thought to be a downstream effect of the cytokine response, are common in many of these etiologies and overlap significantly with symptoms of catatonia. Furthermore, there are syndromes that overlap with catatonia that some would consider variants, including neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and akinetic mutism, which may also have neuroinflammatory underpinnings. Low serum iron, a common finding in NMS and malignant catatonia, may be caused by the acute phase response. Cellular hits involving either pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) danger signals or the damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) danger signals of severe psychosocial stress may set the stage for a common pathway immunoactivation state that could lower the threshold for a catatonic state in susceptible individuals. Immunoactivation leading to dysfunction in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/mid-cingulate cortex (MCC)/medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)/paralimbic cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit, involved in motivation and movement, may be particularly important in generating the motor and behavioral symptoms of catatonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Beach
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - James Luccarelli
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nathan Praschan
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark Fusunyan
- Department of Psychiatry, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA, USA
| | - Gregory L Fricchione
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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46
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Jiang C, Li X, Xiang C, Ye F. Pb induces the release of CXCL10 and CCL2 chemokines via mtROS/NF-κB activation in BV-2 cells. Toxicol Lett 2024; 391:62-70. [PMID: 38061439 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.12.001] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb), a well-known environmental pollutant, could cause damage of microglia, the resident macrophages vitally regulating inflammation in brain. Previous studies have found that Pb exposure induces typical pro-inflammatory factors release, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), but what effects of Pb treatment below the dose causing these factors release are unknown. Thus, cytokines assay was performed to identify the factors released from Pb-treated BV-2 cells at 2.5 μM, causing no effects on TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 release and cell death. Cytokines assay identified low doses of Pb exposure mainly induce an increase in specific chemokines, including CXCL10, CCL2, and CXCL2, which were confirmed by ELISA. Subsequent assessment found Pb could damage mitochondria function and generate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and Mito TEMPO, a specific inhibitor of mtROS, suppressed Pb-caused upregulation of CXCL10 and CCL2, but not CXCL2. Finally, we determined that mtROS mediated Pb-induced activation of NF-κB pathway, as Mito TEMPO treatment inhibited P-p65/p65 escalation during Pb treatment. Inhibition of NF-κB pathway by Bay11-7821 suppressed the release of CXCL10 and CCL2. Collectively, low dose of Pb induces the release of CXCL10 and CCL2 chemokines, but not TNF-α and IL-1β, via mtROS/NF-κB activation in BV-2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Jiang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xintong Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Cui Xiang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Fang Ye
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
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47
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Davies MR, Greenberg Z, van Vuurden DG, Cross CB, Zannettino ACW, Bardy C, Wardill HR. More than a small adult brain: Lessons from chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment for modelling paediatric brain disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:229-247. [PMID: 37858741 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.10.013] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood is recognised as a period of immense physical and emotional development, and this, in part, is driven by underlying neurophysiological transformations. These neurodevelopmental processes are unique to the paediatric brain and are facilitated by augmented rates of neuroplasticity and expanded neural stem cell populations within neurogenic niches. However, given the immaturity of the developing central nervous system, innate protective mechanisms such as neuroimmune and antioxidant responses are functionally naïve which results in periods of heightened sensitivity to neurotoxic insult. This is highly relevant in the context of paediatric cancer, and in particular, the neurocognitive symptoms associated with treatment, such as surgery, radio- and chemotherapy. The vulnerability of the developing brain may increase susceptibility to damage and persistent symptomology, aligning with reports of more severe neurocognitive dysfunction in children compared to adults. It is therefore surprising, given this intensified neurocognitive burden, that most of the pre-clinical, mechanistic research focuses exclusively on adult populations and extrapolates findings to paediatric cohorts. Given this dearth of age-specific research, throughout this review we will draw comparisons with neurodevelopmental disorders which share comparable pathways to cancer treatment related side-effects. Furthermore, we will examine the unique nuances of the paediatric brain along with the somatic systems which influence neurological function. In doing so, we will highlight the importance of developing in vitro and in vivo paediatric disease models to produce age-specific discovery and clinically translatable research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya R Davies
- School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Supportive Oncology Research Group, Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Zarina Greenberg
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Laboratory of Human Neurophysiology and Genetics, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Dannis G van Vuurden
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Heidelberglaan 25, 3584 CS Utrecht, the weNetherlands
| | - Courtney B Cross
- Supportive Oncology Research Group, Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew C W Zannettino
- School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Cedric Bardy
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Laboratory of Human Neurophysiology and Genetics, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Hannah R Wardill
- School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Supportive Oncology Research Group, Precision Cancer Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
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48
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Curatolo P, Scheper M, Emberti Gialloreti L, Specchio N, Aronica E. Is tuberous sclerosis complex-associated autism a preventable and treatable disorder? World J Pediatr 2024; 20:40-53. [PMID: 37878130 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-023-00762-2] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder caused by inactivating mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes, causing overactivation of the mechanistic (previously referred to as mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in fetal life. The mTOR pathway plays a crucial role in several brain processes leading to TSC-related epilepsy, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pre-natal or early post-natal diagnosis of TSC is now possible in a growing number of pre-symptomatic infants. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed for peer-reviewed publications published between January 2010 and April 2023 with the terms "tuberous sclerosis", "autism", or "autism spectrum disorder"," animal models", "preclinical studies", "neurobiology", and "treatment". RESULTS Prospective studies have highlighted that developmental trajectories in TSC infants who were later diagnosed with ASD already show motor, visual and social communication skills in the first year of life delays. Reliable genetic, cellular, electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers can identify pre-symptomatic TSC infants at high risk for having autism and epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Preventing epilepsy or improving therapy for seizures associated with prompt and tailored treatment strategies for autism in a sensitive developmental time window could have the potential to mitigate autistic symptoms in infants with TSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Curatolo
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirte Scheper
- Department of Neuropathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Specchio
- Clinical and Experimental Neurology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, Piazza S. Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Department of Neuropathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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49
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Fan G, Ma J, Ma R, Suo M, Chen Y, Zhang S, Zeng Y, Chen Y. Microglia Modulate Neurodevelopment in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17297. [PMID: 38139124 PMCID: PMC10743577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include various neurological disorders with high genetic heterogeneity, characterized by delayed or impaired cognition, communication, adaptive behavior, and psychomotor skills. These disorders result in significant morbidity for children, thus burdening families and healthcare/educational systems. However, there is a lack of early diagnosis and effective therapies. Therefore, a more connected approach is required to explore these disorders. Microglia, the primary phagocytic cells within the central nervous system, are crucial in regulating neuronal viability, influencing synaptic dynamics, and determining neurodevelopmental outcomes. Although the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) has attracted attention in recent decades, the role of microglia in ASD and SZ remains unclear and requires further discussion. In this review, the important and frequently multifaceted roles that microglia play during neurodevelopment are meticulously emphasized and potential microglial mechanisms that might be involved in conditions such as ASD and SZ are postulated. It is of utmost importance to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the interplay between microglia and neurons to design effective, targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate the effects of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yan Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Yushan Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
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50
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Erdogan MA, Turk M, Doganay GD, Sever IH, Ozkul B, Sogut I, Eroglu E, Uyanikgil Y, Erbas O. Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Exposure Induces Autism-Like Neurobehavioral Changes in Male Neonatal Rats. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2023; 18:573-591. [PMID: 37889404 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-023-10089-4] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent research on placental, embryo, and brain organoids suggests that the COVID-19 virus may potentially affect embryonic organs, including the brain. Given the established link between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and neuroinflammation, we sought to investigate the effects of exposure to this protein during pregnancy. We divided pregnant rats into three groups: Group 1 received a 1 ml/kg saline solution, Group 2 received 150 μg/kg adjuvant aluminum hydroxide (AAH), and Group 3 received 40 μg/kg spike protein + 150 μg/kg AAH at 10 and 14 days of gestation. On postnatal day 21 (P21), we randomly separated 60 littermates (10 male-female) into control, AAH-exposed, and spike protein-exposed groups. At P50, we conducted behavioral analyses on these mature animals and performed MR spectroscopy. Subsequently, all animals were sacrificed, and their brains were subject to biochemical and histological analysis. Our findings indicate that male rats exposed to the spike protein displayed a higher rate of impaired performance on behavioral studies, including the three-chamber social test, passive avoidance learning analysis, open field test, rotarod test, and novelty-induced cultivation behavior, indicative of autistic symptoms. Exposure to the spike protein (male) induced gliosis and neuronal cell death in the CA1-CA3 regions of the hippocampus and cerebellum. The spike protein-exposed male rats exhibited significantly greater levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-17 (IL-17), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and lactate and lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than the control group. Our study suggests a potential association between prenatal exposure to COVID-19 spike protein and neurodevelopmental problems, such as ASD. These findings highlight the importance of further research into the potential effects of the COVID-19 virus on embryonic and fetal development and the potential long-term consequences for neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumin Alper Erdogan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Miray Turk
- Graduate School, Department of Molecular Biology-Genetics and Biotechnology, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gizem Dinler Doganay
- Graduate School, Department of Molecular Biology-Genetics and Biotechnology, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Halil Sever
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahattin Ozkul
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Istanbul Atlas University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Sogut
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebru Eroglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Yigit Uyanikgil
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Oytun Erbas
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
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