Traditional Chinese medicine formula Xiaoyaosan alleviates autistic behaviors and anxiety behaviors in valproic acid-induced autistic rats
Author:
Li Yanyan1, Yang Junjie2, Li Honglei3, Xu Chengming3, Li Enyao3, Dong Xianwen3
Affiliation:
1. Shenzhen Longhua District Maternal and Child Health Hospital 2. Shenzhen Luohu District Maternal and Child Health Hospital 3. The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is correlated with anxiety behavior. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Xiaoyaosan (XYS) on anxiety behavior in autism rats and its potential mechanism.
Materials and Methods
The autistic rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of pregnant rats with sodium valproic acid (VPA) at 12.5 days of pregnancy. The newborn rats (n = 15 in each group) were given XYS solution gavage daily for 21 days. The autistic behaviors were identified by the marble-burying behavior test (MBT), ultrasonic vocalization (USV) test, three-chamber social interaction task (TCT), and novel object recognition (NOR) task. The anxiety behaviors were detected by open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and sucrose preference test (SPT). Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to detect the changes in the autonomic nerve. The expression of Ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) in microglia of the hippocampus and amygdala was detected by immunohistochemistry.
Results
Compared with the control group, the number of buried marbles in MBT was increased, the number of vocalizations at 50 kHz in the USV test was reduced, the social ability in the TST was reduced, and the exploration time and distance of new objects in NOR task were reduced in the VPA group. In the OFT, the activity time in the central zone was reduced, the open arm activity time in EPM was reduced, and the sucrose consumption rate in SPT was reduced in autistic rats. The autonomic sympathetic balance of autistic rats was impaired. In hippocampus and amygdala regions, the number of Iba-1 positive cells was increased in VPA-induced rats. After XYS treatment, the above effects caused by VPA were reversed.
Conclusion
XYS could improve autism and anxiety behaviors. It could also maintain the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in autistic rats. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activation of microglia in the hippocampus and amygdala.
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC
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