Shultz Sandy R, Macfabe Derrick F, Martin Samantha, Jackson Jordana, Taylor Roy, Boon Francis, Ossenkopp Klaus-Peter, Cain Donald P
The Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Behav Brain Res. 2009 Jun 8;200(1):33-41. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.12.023. Epub 2008 Dec 30.
Propionic acid (PPA) is a dietary short chain fatty acid and a metabolic end-product of enteric bacteria. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of PPA can result in brain and behavioral abnormalities in rats similar to those seen in humans suffering from autism. To evaluate cognition and sensorimotor ability in the PPA model, male Long-Evans hooded rats received ICV injection of PPA or control compounds prior to behavioral testing in water maze and beam tasks. Compared to controls, PPA-treated rats were impaired in the water maze task as indicated by an unusual pattern of mild or no impairment during spatial acquisition training, but marked impairment during spatial reversal training. PPA-treated rats were also impaired on the beam task. Neuropathological analysis from PPA-treated rats revealed an innate neuroinflammatory response. These findings add to evidence that PPA can change the brain and behavior in the laboratory rat consistent with symptoms of human autism.
丙酸（PPA）是一种膳食短链脂肪酸，也是肠道细菌的代谢终产物。脑室内（ICV）注射PPA可导致大鼠出现大脑和行为异常，类似于自闭症患者的表现。为了评估PPA模型中的认知和感觉运动能力，雄性Long-Evans有帽大鼠在进行水迷宫和横梁任务的行为测试之前，接受了ICV注射PPA或对照化合物。与对照组相比，PPA处理的大鼠在水迷宫任务中表现受损，表现为在空间获取训练期间出现轻度或无损伤的异常模式，但在空间反转训练期间出现明显损伤。PPA处理的大鼠在横梁任务中也表现受损。对PPA处理的大鼠进行神经病理学分析发现了一种先天性神经炎症反应。这些发现进一步证明，PPA可以改变实验大鼠的大脑和行为，与人类自闭症症状一致。
