“…In addition, high doses of the monocarboxylic HDAC inhibitors propionate or valproate, administered either systemically to the mother during pregnancy or intraventricular in adulthood were repeatedly shown to induce autistic-like symptoms in animal models (Chomiak et al, 2013;Macfabe, 2012;MacFabe et al, 2011MacFabe et al, , 2007Roullet et al, 2013;Thomas et al, 2012), suggesting extreme care has to be given to evaluation of the potential use of SCFAs in treatment of ASDs. Interestingly, however, the prenatal valproate-induced mouse model could also be treated with butyrate or even valproate when given at 4 weeks of age for 5 weeks, which was accompanied by increased histone H3 acetylation in the case of butyrate (Takuma et al, 2014). In the context of the microbiome-gut-brain axis, it is important to note that this model is, along with the neurodevelopmental symptoms, associated with altered composition and activity of the microbiota as well as intestinal inflammation (de Theije et al, 2014a(de Theije et al, , 2014b.…”