Department of Clinical Medicine.
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.
Behav Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 1;34(2-3):154-168. doi: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000718. Epub 2023 Feb 10.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describes a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behaviors. Aripiprazole (APZ) is an atypical antipsychotic that can safeguard mice against autism-like behavior induced by valproic acid (VPA). In the present study, we examined the effects of maternal treatment with APZ (10 mg/kg) in juvenile mice prenatally exposed to VPA on neurodevelopmental behaviors, social interactions, communication, and working memory, as well as synaptophysin (SYP), synaptosomal-associated protein, 25 kDa (SNAP-25) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and cell viability in the hippocampus. In addition, to evaluate possible APZ interference with the anticonvulsant properties of VPA on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures were evaluated. Maternal treatment with APZ significantly prevented body weight loss, self-righting, eye-opening, social interactions, social communication, and working memory deficits in mice prenatally exposed to VPA. Additionally, the decrease in the SYP, SNAP-25, and MAP-2 expressions in the mPFC and cell death in the hippocampus was prevented by APZ. Furthermore, APZ (10 mg/kg) did not interfere with the anticonvulsant effect of VPA (15 mg/kg) in animals with PTZ-induced seizures. These findings indicate that maternal treatment with APZ in pregnant mice exposed to VPA protects animals against the ASD-like behavioral phenotype, and this effect may be related, at least in part, to synaptic plasticity and neuronal protection in the PFC and hippocampus. APZ may serve as an effective pharmacological therapeutic target against autistic behaviors in the VPA animal model of ASD, which should be further investigated to verify its clinical relevance.
自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)描述了一组异质性的神经发育障碍,其特征是社交沟通和重复行为缺陷。阿立哌唑(APZ)是一种非典型抗精神病药,可保护小鼠免受丙戊酸(VPA)诱导的自闭症样行为。在本研究中,我们研究了母体用 APZ(10mg/kg)治疗对 VPA 产前暴露的幼鼠神经发育行为、社交互动、交流和工作记忆以及内侧前额叶皮质(mPFC)中的突触小体相关蛋白 25kDa(SNAP-25)和微管相关蛋白 2(MAP-2)表达以及海马细胞活力的影响。此外,评估了可能的 APZ 对戊四氮(PTZ)诱导的癫痫发作中 VPA 的抗惊厥作用的干扰。母体用 APZ 治疗可显著预防 VPA 产前暴露的小鼠体重减轻、翻身、睁眼、社交互动、社交交流和工作记忆缺陷。此外,APZ 还可预防 mPFC 中 SYP、SNAP-25 和 MAP-2 表达的减少以及海马细胞死亡。此外,APZ(10mg/kg)并未干扰 VPA(15mg/kg)在 PTZ 诱导的癫痫发作动物中的抗惊厥作用。这些发现表明,在 VPA 暴露的孕鼠中进行母体用 APZ 治疗可保护动物免受 ASD 样行为表型的影响,这种作用至少部分与 PFC 和海马中的突触可塑性和神经元保护有关。APZ 可能是 ASD 的 VPA 动物模型中治疗自闭症行为的有效药物治疗靶点,应进一步研究以验证其临床相关性。
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2017-8-10