Gut microbiota on gender bias in autism spectrum disorder.

Xia Hao,Yue Li,Shiyu Zhang,Jiao Pan,Xiumei Gao

doi:10.1515/revneuro-2020-0042

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Its three core symptoms are social communication disorder, communication disorder, narrow interest and stereotyped repetitive behavior. The proportion of male and female autistic patients is 4:1. Many researchers have studied this phenomenon, but the mechanism is still unclear. This review mainly discusses the related mechanism from the perspective of gut microbiota and introduces the influence of gut microbiota on the difference of ASD between men and women, as well as how gut microbiota may affect the gender dimorphism of ASD through metabolite of microbiota, immunity, and genetics, which provide some useful information for those who are interested in this research and find more gender-specific treatment for autistic men and women.

Highlights

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs during the first few years of life (Estes et al 2015)
An open-label study and a two-year follow-up suggest that microbiota transplant therapy is relatively safe and effective in significantly reducing gastrointestinal disorders and autism symptoms, changing the gut microbiome structure, and increasing gut microbial diversity in children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Adams et al 2019)
Probiotic supplementation has beneficial effects on children with ASD for specific GI symptoms and the core deficits of the disorder, cognitive and language development, and brain function and connectivity (Santocchi et al 2016). These studies indicate widespread potential for the development of noninvasive therapies for ASD and suggest a future in which the microbiome plays a major role in the pathophysiology and the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders

Summary

Introduction

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs during the first few years of life (Estes et al 2015). Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) induces a rearrangement of early microbial colonization in a murine model of autism, leading to an increase of butyrate levels in the gastrointestinal tract of male offspring, which may interfere directly with gene expression in intestinal cells (de Theije et al 2014).

Results

Conclusion