Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
The Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Neurotox Res. 2019 May;35(4):823-837. doi: 10.1007/s12640-019-0002-z. Epub 2019 Mar 8.
Propionic acid (PPA) is a dietary short chain fatty acid and an enteric bacterial metabolite. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusions of PPA in rodents have been shown to produce behavioral changes similar to those seen in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including perseveration. The effects of ICV infusions of PPA on spatial cognition were examined by giving rats infusions of either PPA (0.26 M, pH 7.4, 4 μl/infusion) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 0.1 M) twice a day for 7 days. The rats were then tested in the Morris water maze (MWM) for acquisition of spatial learning. After a recovery period of 1 week of no treatment, the rats were then tested for reversal of spatial learning in the MWM. PPA-treated rats showed impaired spatial learning in the maze, relative to controls, as demonstrated by increased search latencies, fewer direct and circle swims, and more time spent in the periphery of the maze than PBS controls. After a recovery period of 1 week of no treatment, these animals exhibited normal spatial reversal learning indicating that the behavioral cognitive deficits caused by PPA seem to be reversible.
丙酸（PPA）是一种膳食短链脂肪酸和肠道细菌代谢物。在啮齿动物中，脑室内（ICV）输注 PPA 已被证明会产生类似于自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的行为改变，包括坚持。通过每天两次给大鼠输注 PPA（0.26 M，pH 7.4，4 μl/输注）或磷酸盐缓冲盐水（PBS，0.1 M），检查了 ICV 输注 PPA 对空间认知的影响，持续 7 天。然后，大鼠在 Morris 水迷宫（MWM）中接受空间学习的测试。经过 1 周无治疗的恢复期后，大鼠在 MWM 中接受空间学习的逆转测试。与对照组相比，PPA 处理的大鼠在迷宫中表现出空间学习受损，表现为搜索潜伏期增加、直接游泳和圆形游泳次数减少，以及在迷宫外围停留的时间增加。经过 1 周无治疗的恢复期后，这些动物表现出正常的空间反转学习，表明 PPA 引起的行为认知缺陷似乎是可逆的。
