Lim Miranda M, Bielsky Isadora F, Young Larry J
Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Int J Dev Neurosci. 2005 Apr-May;23(2-3):235-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.05.006.
Conducting basic scientific research on a complex psychiatric disorder, such as autism, is a challenging prospect. It is difficult to dissociate the fundamental neurological and psychological processes that are disturbed in autism and, therefore, it is a challenge to discover accurate and reliable animal models of the disease. Because of their role in animal models of social processing and social bonding, the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are strong candidates for dysregulation in autism. In this review, we discuss the current animal models which have investigated oxytocin and vasopressin systems in the brain and their effects on social behavior. For example, mice lacking the oxytocin gene have profound deficits in social processing and social recognition, as do rats lacking vasopressin or mice lacking the vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR). In another rodent model, monogamous prairie voles are highly social and form strong pair bonds with their mates. Pair bonds can be facilitated or disrupted by perturbing the oxytocin and vasopressin systems. Non-monogamous vole species that do not pair bond have different oxytocin and V1aR distribution patterns in the brain than monogamous vole species. Potential ties from these rodent models to the human autistic condition are then discussed. Given the hallmark disturbances in social function, the study of animal models of social behavior may provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of autism.
对自闭症等复杂精神疾病开展基础科学研究是一项具有挑战性的工作。自闭症患者的基本神经和心理过程受到干扰，难以区分这些过程，因此，要找到准确可靠的该疾病动物模型颇具挑战。由于神经肽催产素和加压素在社会行为处理及社会关系的动物模型中发挥作用，它们很可能是自闭症中失调的因素。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了目前研究大脑中催产素和加压素系统及其对社会行为影响的动物模型。例如，缺乏催产素基因的小鼠在社会行为处理和社会识别方面存在严重缺陷，缺乏加压素的大鼠或缺乏加压素V1a受体（V1aR）的小鼠也是如此。在另一种啮齿动物模型中，实行一夫一妻制的草原田鼠具有很强的社会性，会与配偶建立牢固的伴侣关系。通过干扰催产素和加压素系统，可以促进或破坏伴侣关系。不建立伴侣关系的非一夫一妻制田鼠物种，其大脑中的催产素和V1aR分布模式与一夫一妻制田鼠物种不同。随后，我们讨论了这些啮齿动物模型与人类自闭症状况之间的潜在联系。鉴于社会功能存在标志性障碍，对社会行为动物模型的研究可能为自闭症治疗提供新的治疗靶点。
