Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial disorder with characteristic synaptic and gene expression changes. Early intervention during childhood is thought to benefit prognosis. Here, we examined the changes in cortical synaptogenesis, synaptic function, and gene expression from birth to the juvenile stage in a marmoset model of ASD induced by valproic acid (VPA) treatment. Early postnatally, synaptogenesis was reduced in this model, while juvenile-age VPA-treated marmosets showed increased synaptogenesis, similar to observations in human tissue. During infancy, synaptic plasticity transiently increased and was associated with altered vocalization. Synaptogenesis-related genes were downregulated early postnatally. At three months of age, the differentially expressed genes were associated with circuit remodeling, similar to the expression changes observed in humans. In summary, we provide a functional and molecular characterization of a non-human primate model of ASD, highlighting its similarity to features observed in human ASD.
The common marmoset (Callithrix
jacchus) is now widely used in various
research fields, including toxicology. However,
information about the background pathology of this
species is scarce. Here, we report a case of
rhabdomyosarcoma that spontaneously occurred in a
common marmoset. A 44-month-old male common
marmoset was euthanized due to bilateral hind limb
paralysis. At necropsy, a 2×2×5-cm intramuscular
mass was observed in the lower right back.
Histologically, the mass was mainly composed of
interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped tumor cells.
Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were
positive for myogenin, desmin, vimentin and
alpha-smooth muscle actin. Ultrastructurally, the
tumor cells contained bundles of myofilaments with
Z-band-like structures. Thus, the tumor was
diagnosed as a rhabdomyosarcoma. To our knowledge,
this is the first report of spontaneous
rhabdomyosarcoma that was definitely diagnosed in
the common marmoset.
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