Oxytocin improves autistic-like behaviors induced by maternal deprivation in female rats

Authors

Abstract

Background and Objective: Maternal deprivation as an early life negative experience can lead to enduring disorders such as autism-like behaviors by affecting brain development. Oxytocinergic system alters in the process of maternal deprivation, on the other hand the positive effect of oxytocin on the improvement of social behavior and stereotyped behavior in autism disorder has been shown. In this study, we investigated the effect of oxytocin on maternal deprivation-induced autism-like behaviors in female rats.
 
Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 32 female rats were divided into four groups. The two groups were separated from the mother 3 hours daily for the first 14 days of life. The other two groups were kept in normal condition. After weaning from each of the two groups (maternal deprivation or control), one group received oxytocin at a dose of 1 mg/kg for five times. At adolescence (PND=42-50), social behavior tests, stereotyped behaviors, and anxiety behaviors were taken. Plasma BDNF levels were also measured.
 
Results: The present study showed that maternal deprivation led to autism-like behaviors and anxiety behavior in adolescent female rats (P<0.05), which were significantly reduced by oxytocin injection (P<0.05). Maternal deprivation also resulted in a significant increase in plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level (P<0.05), but oxytocin treatment did not significantly decrease it.
 
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that oxytocin treatment had an effective role in modulating autistic-like and anxiety behaviors in female rats.
 

Keywords


1. Association AP. Association, A.P., Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC2013. 2. WHO. Autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders 2013. DF-1.5 3. Folstein SE, Rosen-Sheidley B. Genetics of autism: complex aetiology for a heterogeneous disorder. Nature Reviews Genetics 2001;2(12):943-55. 4. Weiss LA, Arking DE, Daly MJ, Chakravarti A. A genome-wide linkage and association scan reveals novel loci for autism. Nature 2009;461(7265):802-8. 5. Hallmayer J, Cleveland S, Torres A, Phillips J, Cohen B, Torigoe T, et al. Genetic heritability and shared environmental factors among twin pairs with autism. Archives of General Psychiatry 2011;68(11):1095-102. 6. Salehi M, Kamali E, Karahmadi M, Mousavi SM. RORA and Autism in The Isfahan Population: Is There An Epigenetic Relationship. Cell Journal 2017;18(4):540-6. 7. Nguyen A, Rauch TA, Pfeifer GP, Hu VW. Global methylation profiling of lymphoblastoid cell lines reveals epigenetic contributions to autism spectrum disorders and a novel autism candidate gene, RORA, whose protein product is reduced in autistic brain. FASEB Journal 2010;24(8):3036-51. 8. Posey DJ MC. Pharmacotherapeutic management of autism. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2001;2:587-600. 9. Adler BA WL, Early M, Shaffer R, Minshawi N, McDougle CJ, Erickson CA. Drug-refractory aggression, self-injurious behavior, and severe tantrums in autism spectrum disorders. Autism 2015;19:102-6. 10. Foley DL, Craig JM, Morley R, Olsson CA, Dwyer T, Smith K, et al. Prospects for epigenetic epidemiology. American Journal of Epidemiology 2009;169(4):389-400. 11. Wang SC, Oelze B, Schumacher A. Age-specific epigenetic drift in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One 2008;3(7):e2698. 12. Kern JK, Jones AM. Evidence of toxicity, oxidative stress, and neuronal insult in autism. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 2006;9(6):485-99. 13. Kolevzon A, Gross R, Reichenberg A. Prenatal and perinatal risk factors for autism: a review and integration of findings. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 2007 Apr;161(4):326-33. 14. Agid O, Shapira B, Zislin J, Ritsner M, Hanin B, Murad H, et al. Environment and vulnerability to major psychiatric illness: a case control study of early parental loss in major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry 1999;4(2):163-72. 15. Mazurek MO, Shattuck PT, Wagner M, Cooper BP. Prevalence and correlates of screen-based media use among youths with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2012;42(8):1757-67. 16. Pouretemad HR, S.S. Rahmati Digital nanning and autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Education and Community Health 2017; 17(3): 39-44. 17. Miragaia AS, de Oliveira Wertheimer GS, Consoli AC, Cabbia R, Longo BM, Girardi CEN, et al. Maternal Deprivation Increases Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors in an Age-Dependent Fashion and Reduces Neuropeptide Y Expression in the Amygdala and Hippocampus of Male and Female Young Adult Rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2018;12:159. 18. Tan T, Wang W, Xu H, Huang Z, Wang YT, Dong Z. Low-Frequency rTMS Ameliorates Autistic-Like Behaviors in Rats Induced by Neonatal Isolation Through Regulating the Synaptic GABA Transmission. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2018;12:46. 19. Wu X, Bai Y, Tan T, Li H, Xia S, Chang X, et al. Lithium ameliorates autistic-like behaviors induced by neonatal isolation in rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2014;8:234. 20. Sayed Javad Javaheri ES, Bigdeli MR, Zibaii MI, Dargahi L, Pouretemad HR. Optogenetic Stimulation of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Ameliorates Autistic-Like Behaviors in Rats Induced by Neonatal Isolation, Caudate Putamen as a Site for Alteration. Neuro Molecular Medicine 2019. 21. Thibonnier M CP, Thibonnier A et al. Molecular pharmacology and modeling of vasopressin receptors. Progress in Brain Research 2002;139:179-96. 22. Chini B LM, Braida D. Learning about oxytocin: pharmacologic and behavioral issues. Biological Psychiatry 2014;76(5):360-6. 23. Auyeung B, Lombardo, M. V. Heinrichs, M. Chakrabarti, B. Sule, A. Deakin, et al. Oxytocin increases eye contact during a real-time, naturalistic social interaction in males with and without autism. Translational Psychiatry 2015;5:507. 24. Insel TR YL. The neurobiology of attachment. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2001;2(2):129-36. 25. Rich ME dE, Lee HJ et al. Impairments in the initiation of maternal behavior in oxytocin receptor knockout mice. PLoS One 2014;9(6):e98839. 26. Jacobson JD EK, Kelly KA et al. Evidence for alterations in stimulatory G proteins and oxytocin levels in children with autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014;40:159-69. 27. Johnson ZV, Young LJ. Oxytocin and vasopressin neural networks: Implications for social behavioral diversity and translational neuroscience. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2017;76(Pt A):87-98. 28. Modi ME, Young LJ. The oxytocin system in drug discovery for autism: animal models and novel therapeutic strategies. Hormones and Behavior 2012;61(3):340-50. 29. Andari E, Duhamel JR, Zalla T, Herbrecht E, Leboyer M, Sirigu A. Promoting social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2010;107(9):4389-94. 30. Guastella AJ, Einfeld SL, Gray KM, Rinehart NJ, Tonge BJ, Lambert TJ, et al. Intranasal oxytocin improves emotion recognition for youth with autism spectrum disorders. Biological Psychiatry 2010 ;67(7):692-4. 31. Anagnostou E SL, Chaplin W, Bartz J, Halpern D, Wasserman S, Wang AT, Pepa L, Tanel N, Kushki A. Intranasal oxytocin versus placebo in the treatment of adults with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled trial. Molecular Autism 2012;3(16). 32. Cacciotti-Saija C, Langdon R, Ward PB, Hickie IB, Scott EM, Naismith SL, et al. A double-blind randomized controlled trial of oxytocin nasal spray and social cognition training for young people with early psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2015;41(2):483-93. 33. Armeanu R, Mokkonen, M., & Crespi, B., 2017. Meta-Analysis of BDNF Levels in Autism. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology 2017;37(5):949-54. 34. Brondino N, Fusar-Poli L, Rocchetti M, Bertoglio F, Bloise N, Visai L, et al. BDNF levels are associated with autistic traits in the general population. Psychoneuro endocrinology 2018;89:131-3. 35. Fuld S. Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Impact of Stressful and Traumatic Life Events and Implications for Clinical Practice. Clinical Social Work Journal 2018;46:210-9. 36. Berg KL, Shiu C-S, Acharya K, Stolbach BC, Msall ME. Disparities in adversity among children with autism spectrum disorder: a population-based study. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2016;58(11):1124-31. 37. Dawson G.. Early behavioral intervention, brain plasticity, and the prevention of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Development and Psychopathology 2008;20(30):775-803. 38. M. Lukas RB, I.D. Neumann, A.H. Veenema. Maternal separation interferes with developmental changes in brain vasopressin and oxytocin receptor binding in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2014;58(2010):78-87. 39. S. Kojima RAS, G. E. Demas, and J. R. Alberts. Maternal Contact Differentially Modulates Central and Peripheral Oxytocin in Rat Pups During a Brief Regime of Mother–Pup Interaction that Induces a Filial Huddling Preference. Neuroendocrinology 2012;24(5):831-40. 40. Lee SY, Lee AR, Hwangbo R, Han J, Hong M, Bahn GH. Is Oxytocin Application for Autism Spectrum Disorder Evidence-Based? Experimental Neurobiology 2015;24(4):312-24. 41. Giovagnoli G, Postorino V, Fatta LM, Sanges V, De Peppo L, Vassena L, et al. Behavioral and emotional profile and parental stress in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities 2015;45-46:411-21. 42. Gogolla N, Takesian AE, Feng G, Fagiolini M, Hensch TK. Sensory integration in mouse insular cortex reflects GABA circuit maturation. Neuron 2014;83(4):894-905. 43. Penagarikano O LM, Lu XH, Gordon A, Dong H, Lam HA, et al. Exogenous and evoked oxytocin restores social behavior in the Cntnap2 mouse model of autism. Science Translational Medicine 2015;7:271ra8. 44. Tyzio R NR, Ferrari DC, Tsintsadze T, et al. Oxytocin–mediated GABA inhibition during delivery attenuates autism pathogenesis in rodent offspring. Science 2014;343:675. 45. Teng BL, Nikolova VD, Riddick NV, Agster KL, Crowley JJ, Baker LK, et al. Reversal of social deficits by subchronic oxytocin in two autism mouse models. Neuropharmacology 2016;105:61-71. 46. Ross HE YL. Oxytocin and the neural mechanisms regulating social cognition and affiliative behavior Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 2009;30:534–47. 47. Donaldson ZR, Young LJ. Oxytocin, vasopressin, and the neurogenetics of sociality. Science 2008 ;322(5903):900-4. 48. Young LJ, Flanagan-Cato LM. Editorial comment: Oxytocin, vasopressin and social behavior. Hormones and Behavior 2012;61(3):227-9. 49. Di Napoli A, Warrier V, Baron-Cohen S, Chakrabarti B. Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene is associated with Asperger Syndrome. Molecular Autism 2014;5(1):48. 50. Green L, Fein D, Modahl C, Feinstein C, Waterhouse L, Morris M. Oxytocin and autistic disorder: alterations in peptide forms. Biological Psychiatry 2001;50(8):609-13. 51. Teng BL, Nonneman RJ, Agster KL, Nikolova VD, Davis TT, Riddick NV, Baker LK, Pedersen CA, Jarstfer MB, Moy SS. Prosocial effects of oxytocin in two mouse models of autism spectrum disorders. Neuropharmacology 2013;70:187-96. 52. Sale A. Environmental Experience and Plasticity of the Developing Brain. Environmental Experience and Plasticity of the Developing Brain 2016; 240. 53. Monireh Mansouri, Hamidreza Pouretemad, Mehrdad Roghani, Gregers Wegener2, Maryam Ardalan. Role of oxytocin in moderating autistic-like behaviors and hippocampal plasticity in maternal separated rats. Iranian Human Brain Mapping Congress 2019.