| Popis: |
Background: Studies reporting associations between ambient air pollution exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have increased. Additionally, the effects of valproic acid (VPA) on ASD have been investigated. Pregnant women may have been simultaneously exposed to air pollution and antiepileptic drugs especially VPA. Thus, we hypothesized that simultaneous exposure to air pollution and valproic acid could reinforce ASD ̉s behaviors in male rats. The current in-vivo study investigated the dual effects of air pollution on the VPA-induced rat model of autism using molecular and behavioral experiments.Results: Seven exposure groups of rats included: 1) particulate matter and gaseous pollutants exposed - high dose of VPA (PGE-high), 2) particulate matter and gaseous pollutants exposed - low dose of VPA (PGE-low), 3) gaseous pollutants only exposed – high dose of VPA (GE-high), 4) gaseous pollutants only exposed –low dose of VPA (GE-low), 5) clean air exposed – high dose of VPA (CAE-high), 6) clean air exposed – low dose of VPA (CAE-low), 7) clean air exposed with no VPA injection (CAE). Rats were exposed to ambient PM2.5/gaseous pollutants from embryonic day (E0) to postnatal day (PND42). Exposures to air pollutants in PGE-high, PGE-low, GE-high and GE-low groups of rat increased the ASD behaviors including: poor locomotor activity, weaker exploration activity, impaired social interaction, communication, and repetitive/restricted behavior as well as decreased oxidative stress biomarkers like catalase (CAT) activity and GSH, and decreased level of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) compared to the negative control group (CAE) and the other two control group (CAE-low and CAE-high).Conclusions: This study suggested that simultaneous exposure to both air pollution and valproic acid contributed to ASD, and air pollution reinforces the mechanism of inducing ASD ̉s in VPA-induced –rat model of autism, and it has provided a future field of studies on the synergistic effects of air pollution |
