IBCN   20355
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA CELULAR Y NEUROCIENCIA "PROFESOR EDUARDO DE ROBERTIS"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Assessing the Neuronal Role in Hippocampal Hypoconnectivity in the VPA Model of Autism
Autor/es:
TRAETTA ME; MALLEVILLE CORPA MJ; UCCELLI NA; REINÉS A; CODAGNONE MG; ZÁRATE S
Lugar:
Córdoba
Reunión:
Congreso; XXXIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2018
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN)
Resumen:
Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by impairments in social interaction and repetitive-stereotypedbehaviors. Applying the VPA model, we reported in the hippocampus of juvenile VPA rats: a decrease in synaptophysin(SYN) along with an increased expression of the neural celladhesion molecule (NCAM) and a decrease in its polysialylated form (PSA-NCAM). The aim of this study was to evaluate synapse formation and remodeling of primary hippocampal neurons from VPA or control male pups.Cytoskeletal and synaptic markers were evaluated by immunocytochemistry and WB. Neurons from VPA animals displayed a reduced dendritic tree (reduced MAP2 area), areduced number of glutamatergic synapses (decreasedvGLUT and PSD-95 puncta number) and NMDA receptorclusters (decreased NR1 puncta number and individualpuncta area). These neurons exhibited reduced number offunctional synapses (FM4-64 labeling) which containedsmaller vesicular pools; total NCAM expression increasedwhile PSA-NCAM decreased. While in neurons from control animals glutamate (5 lM, 3 min) induced an NMDAdependent dendritic retraction and SYN puncta numberreduction, neurons from VPA animals were only capable ofdendritic retraction without any change in synapse number.Our results indicate that neurons from VPA animals formfewer glutamatergic synapses that exhibit a more adhesiveand resistant profile to synaptic remodeling what would contribute to hippocampal hypoconnectivity and reduced synaptic plasticity.