Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder affecting about 1.5% of children, and its prevalence is increasing. Anxiety is one of the most common comorbid signs of ASD. Despite the increasing prevalence, the pathophysiology of ASD is still poorly understood, and its proper treatment has not been defined yet. In order to develop new therapeutic approaches, the valproate- (VPA) induced rodent model of autism can be an appropriate tool. Oxytocin (OT), as a prosocial hormone, may ameliorate some symptoms of ASD. Methods: In the present study, we investigated the possible anxiolytic effect of intraamygdaloid OT on VPA-treated rats using the elevated plus maze test. Results: Our results show that male Wistar rats prenatally exposed to VPA spent significantly less time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze apparatus and performed significantly less head dips from the open arms. Bilateral OT microinjection into the central nucleus of the amygdala increased the time spent in the open arms and the number of head dips and reduced the anxiety to the healthy control level. An OT receptor antagonist blocked the anxiolytic effects of OT. The antagonist by itself did not influence the time rats spent in the open arms. Conclusions: Our results show that intraamygdaloid OT has anxiolytic effects in autistic rats.
Highlights
According to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [1], autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by permanent impairment of verbal and non-verbal social communication, interaction and existence of repetitive, restricted patterns of behavior, interest, or activities, and cognitive rigidity
Our study focused on the alleviation of anxiety in Several animal models of autism (e.g., propionic acid, intrauterine infection, brain lesion, thalidomide, valproate (VPA)-induced models) have been developed in recent years to elucidate the detailed course of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
The main goal of the present study was to investigate the potential role of intraamygdaloid OT in anxiety in rats showing autistic-like behavior
Summary
According to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [1], autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by permanent impairment of verbal and non-verbal social communication, interaction and existence of repetitive, restricted patterns of behavior, interest, or activities, and cognitive rigidity. Murris et al published that 84% of their ASD patients showed clinically significant anxiety [3]. A lower rate (42–55%) of ASD patients met the criteria of clinically significant. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder affecting about 1.5% of children, and its prevalence is increasing. Results: Our results show that male Wistar rats prenatally exposed to VPA spent significantly less time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze apparatus and performed significantly less head dips from the open arms. Bilateral OT microinjection into the central nucleus of the amygdala increased the time spent in the open arms and the number of head dips and reduced the anxiety to the healthy control level. The antagonist by itself did not influence the time rats spent in the open arms
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