Beneficial effects of xenon on behavior in valproic acid-induced model of autism
Morressier, 2017
Online
unknown
Zugriff:
Objectives:To assess the behavioral effects of acute inhalation of subanesthetic concentrations of Xe in valproic acid (VPA) - induced rodent model of autism.Background:Increasing evidence indicates that dysfunction of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) at excitatory synapses is associated with ASD. VPA exposure is a risk factor for developing autism and VPA-exposed animals exhibit autism-like behaviors including deficits in sensorimotor gating, stereotyped movements and abnormal social behaviors. Further, VPA-exposed animals show increased NMDAR expression, changes in glutamate-dependent neuroplasticity, and disruptions in synaptic excitatory/inhibitory balance in the amygdala, a key brain structure mediating emotional regulation. Xenon gas is a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist that has the ability to reduce excitatory neurotransmission and increase in inhibitory neurotransmission, which suggests it may restore a putative imbalance in E/I present in patients with ASD.Materials and Methods:We have conducted 2 series of experiments with a battery of behavioral tests aimed to evaluate locomotion, anxiety- and depression-like behavior, and social behavior in healthy, VPA-treated and Xe-exposed young rats.Results and Conclusions:In healthy animals Xe exposure resulted in acute and delayed decrease of exploratory motivation, partial decrease in risk-taking and depressive-like behavior and improved sensorimotor integration during the negative geotaxis test. In VPA-exposed animals it led to improvement in social behavior, decrease in exploratory motivation and normalization of behavior in forced-swim test. Behavioral modulatory effects of Xe are probably related to its generalized action on E/I balance. Our data suggest that subanesthetic exposures to Xe may have beneficial effects in ASD and deserves further investigation.
Titel: |
Beneficial effects of xenon on behavior in valproic acid-induced model of autism
|
---|---|
Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Dobrovolsky, Alexander |
Link: | |
Veröffentlichung: | Morressier, 2017 |
Medientyp: | unknown |
Sonstiges: |
|