The Neurochemistry of Autism

Marotta, Rosa; Risoleo, Maria Cristina; Messina, Antonietta; Parisi, Lucia; Carotenuto, Marco; Vetri, Luigi; Roccella, Michele

doi:10.3390/brainsci10030163

Cited by 169 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 160 publications

(158 reference statements)

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“…In humans, in addition to the study on social behavior, oxytocin has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [17] and its potential treatment [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Stroking on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol in Guide Dogs: Preliminary Results

Ogi

Mariti

Baragli

et al. 2020

Animals

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This pilot study aimed at investigating how salivary oxytocin levels are affected by human interaction and isolation in eight guide dogs (six Labrador retrievers and two golden retrievers; four males and four females, 21.87 ± 1.36 months old) just before assignment to the blind person. Each dog engaged, at one-week intervals, in a positive (5 min of affiliative interaction with their trainer) and a negative (5 min of isolation) condition. Saliva samples used for Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) quantification of salivary oxytocin were collected before and immediately after both experimental conditions. In order to assess potential hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activation that could have affected oxytocin levels, saliva samples were collected 15 min after both experimental conditions for EIA quantification of salivary cortisol and a behavioral assessment was performed during the negative condition. The results were compared using the Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05). Oxytocin concentrations showed a statistically significant increase after the positive interaction (p = 0.036) and no difference after the negative one (p = 0.779). Moreover, no difference (p = 0.263) was found between the cortisol concentrations after each experimental condition and no signs of distress were observed during the isolation phase. These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that stroking dogs has positive effects on their emotional state independently of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activation.

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“…In humans, in addition to the study on social behavior, oxytocin has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [17] and its potential treatment [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Stroking on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol in Guide Dogs: Preliminary Results

Ogi

Mariti

Baragli

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…Accordingly, GABAergic activity in children with ASD has been reported to be lower (Gaetz et al, 2014). Another neuropeptide thought to be associated with ASD is serotonin, as many studies have demonstrated low serotonin levels in these patients (Marotta et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exenatide, a GLP‐1 analog, has healing effects on LPS‐induced autism model: Inflammation, oxidative stress, gliosis, cerebral GABA, and serotonin interactions

Solmaz

Tekatas²,

Erdoğan

et al. 2020

Intl J of Devlp Neuroscience

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Previous studies have established anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects of Exenatide in the central nervous system. Since these mechanisms are thought to have important roles in the pathophysiology of autism, we hypothesized that Exenatide may have healing effects in autism. We tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of Exenatide in an experimental autism model created by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in the womb, with behavioral tests, histopathological examinations, and biochemical measurements. The autism model was created by administration of LPS (i.p) to pregnant rats on the 10th day of their pregnancy at a dose of 100 µg/kg. On postnatal 21st day, a total of four groups were formed from offspring with regard to sex distribution and treatment. After a 45‐day treatment, behavioral analysis tests were performed on rats. Subsequently, the rats were sacrificed and biochemical analysis [superoxide dismutase, tumor necrotizing factor alpha, nerve growth factor, 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and glutamic acid decarboxylase‐67] and histopathological analysis were performed. On the 10th day of the intrauterine period, LPS exposure was found to disrupt behavioral findings, increase inflammation and hippocampal gliosis, and decrease 5‐HIAA, GAD‐67, and NGF, especially in male rats. However, among the rats exposed to LPS in the intrauterine period, recipients of Exenatide demonstrated significant amelioration of findings. Exenatide therapy shows positive effects on behavioral disorders in an LPS‐induced autism model. This agent probably exerts its effects by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress and reducing hippocampal gliosis. In addition, Exenatide has also been shown to positively affect cerebral serotonergic and GABAergic effects.

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“…GABA-mediated calcium signaling regulates a variety of developmental processes from cell proliferation, and therefore it is not unanticipated that some forms of neuro-developmental disorders including ASD showed alterations of GABAergic signaling and impairment of the excitatory/inhibitory balance in selective neuronal circuits [ 75 ]. In the brain of ASD patients, insulin-signaling pathways and pathological involvement of cholinergic nuclei and altered expression of acetylcholine receptors, particularly nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, have also been reported [ 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Pakistani Population

Khalid

Raza

Driessen

et al. 2020

Genes

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex multifactorial neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in children characterized by impairment of communication and social interaction. Several genes with associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified for ASD in different genetic association studies, meta-analyses, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, associations between different SNPs and ASD vary from population to population. Four SNPs in genes CNTNAP2, EIF4E, ATP2B2, CACNA1C, and SNP rs4307059 (which is found between CDH9 and CDH10 genes) have been identified and reported as candidate risk factors for ASD. The aim of the present study was, for the first time, to assess the association of SNPs in these genes with ASD in the Pakistani population. PCR-based genotyping was performed using allele-specific primers in 93 ASD and 93 control Pakistani individuals. All genetic associations, genotype frequencies, and allele frequencies were computed as odds’ ratios (ORs) using logistic regression with a threshold of p ≤ 0.01 to determine statistical significance. We found that the homozygous genotypes of mutant T alleles of CNTNAP2 and ATP2B2 were significantly associated with Pakistani ASD patients in unadjusted ORs (p < 0.01), but their significance score was lost in the adjusted model. Other SNPs such as rs4307059, rs17850950 of EIF4E, and rs1006737 of CACNA1C were not statistically significant. Based on this, we conclude that SNPs are not associated with, or are not the main cause of, autism in the Pakistani population, indicating the involvement of additional players, which need to be investigated in future studies in a large population size. One of the limitations of present study is its small sample size. However, this study, being the first on Pakistani ASD patients, may lay the foundations for future studies in larger samples.

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The Neurochemistry of Autism

Cited by 169 publications

References 160 publications

Effects of Stroking on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol in Guide Dogs: Preliminary Results

Effects of Stroking on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol in Guide Dogs: Preliminary Results

Exenatide, a GLP‐1 analog, has healing effects on LPS‐induced autism model: Inflammation, oxidative stress, gliosis, cerebral GABA, and serotonin interactions

Genetic Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Pakistani Population

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