Topic: valproic acid

The present study was designed to evaluate age-related alterations of spatial memory in rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA). To induce autism-like animal model, the pregnant rats were intraperitoneally injected 500 mg/kg NaVPA at the gestation day 12.5. Experiments were carried out on three age groups of control and VPA-treated male offspring: prepubertal adolescence (postnatal day 30); adult (6 months) and old (22 months). Spatial memory and learning process was assessed in the Morris water maze (MWM). The effect of treatment on the learning process were analyzed by Two Way Repeate

The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental condition, more prevalent in males, characterized by social behavior impairments. Exposure to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy is linked to ASD. In our VPA-mouse model experiment, we examined neuronal activation in the social decision-making network (SDMN) and stress-regulatory nuclei in the brain of juvenile male mice across diverse social settings. VPA treatment effectiveness was validated through a three-chamber sociability test, a standard method for measuring ASD-like behavior. WE used c-Fos immunohistochemistry to c

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with immune alterations and neuroinflammation. Increasing endocannabinoid tone attenuates ASD-related behavioural changes in rodent models and modulates Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced neuro-immune responses. This study examined the effect of TLR3 activation, in the presence or absence of a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor, on neuroinflammatory gene expression and endocannabinoid levels, in a preclinical rodent model of ASD. Female Sprague-Dawley rats prenatally exposed to either saline or valproic acid (VPA) received 1) the TLR3 agonist

Several adverse intrauterine conditions during pregnancy may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been proposed as co-factors in the pathogenesis of ASD, also potentially useful as early biomarkers of derailed neurodevelopment. Two preclinical models of ASD, the inbred BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) mice, and mice prenatally exposed to valproic acid, showed an altered expression of several ERVs and cytokines, in embryos, blood and brain samples at different post-natal ages. The present study aimed to characterize t

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early-onset impairments in social communication, repetitive behaviors and stereotypies. The present study was designed to investigate the developmental alteration of social behavior in rat model of autism induced by valproic acid (VPA). Experiments were carried out on prenatally VPA-treated and control (saline treated) rats at two different ages: adolescent (postnatal day 30) and young-adult (3 months-old) male rats. Sociability was evaluated in a three-chamber apparatus. The results showed that groups of

Gestational exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is a valid rodent model of human autism spectrum disorder (ASD). VPA treatment is known to bring about specific behavioral deficits of sociability, matching similar alterations in human autism. Previous quantitative morphometric studies from our laboratory showed a marked reduction and defasciculation of the mesotelencephalic DAergic pathway of VPA treated mice (injected on ED13.5, investigated on PD7), along with a decrease in tissue DA in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), but not in the caudatoputamen (CPu) (assayed by ELISA). In the present study, the

Autism spectrum disorder impacts various aspects of the behavioral phenotype. Even in highly functioning autistic patients, the domains most affected include social behavior, behavioral flexibility, and linguistic development. While the first two are relatively easy to model in laboratory rodents, vocal learning is not within their behavioral repertoire. Conversely, songbirds, such as the zebra finch (Taenopygia guttata), develop their vocal communication (song) through social learning, making them a potentially valuable model for human speech development. Zebra finches, highly social colonial

Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit a gender bias where boys are affected predominantly. However, the mechanisms underlying resilience in VPA females are not entirely understood. To shed light on this disparity, we utilized an ASD mouse model, the valproic acid (VPA) model where sociability is more affected in males than females. We hypothesized that immunological mechanisms are involved in the resilience of VPA female mice particularly during the juvenile period because this is when they display unique neuroinflammatory patterns. To tackle this hypothesis, we assessed the impact of juveni