Characterization of postnatal alterations in a mouse model of autism

KAZLAUSKAS N; CAMPOLONGO M; LUCCHINA L; DEPINO A

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 2do Simposio Franco-Argentino de Neurociencias; 2012

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impediments in communication and social interaction and by stereotyped or restrictive behaviors. As the disorder manifests typically during the first 5 years of childhood, we hypothesized that there is a postnatal developmental critical window in which maturation and consolidation of the neural systems responsible for these symptoms occur. We have previously shown that exposure to valproic acid (VPA) at gestational day 12.5 (GD12.5) results in a decrease in social interaction and an increase in anxiety levels in F1 (C57xBalbC) mice. We have also found chronic gliosis in the cerebellum and the cortex of these VPA mice. To further validate our VPA model, we aimed to verify whether the prenatal VPA treatment have similar effects on behavior in an outbred strain (CF1). We propose that central inflammatory processes underlie autism development. Glial activation in particular could be producing alterations in neural development resulting in the observed behavioral symptoms. We aim to identify the moment when gliosis appears in the brains of VPA mice. This work shows the effects of VPA treatment on the development of behaviors that mature on predictable days, and that are linked to brain regions known to be affected in autism (cerebellum, hippocampus and cortex). Moreover, since prenatal treatment could affect maternal care, and given that this can in turn affect the pup?s behavior as adults, we evaluated maternal behavior during the first postnatal week. Also, we analyzed the astroglial state in cerebella and hippocampi at P21 and P28.