Host: The Japanese Pharmacological Society
Name : The 95th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society
Number : 95
Location : Fukuoka
Date : March 07, 2022 - March 09, 2022
Maternal use of valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring. In the pathophysiological hypothesis of ASD, excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance is attracted. Dysfunction of serotonergic system is also suggested to be involved in ASD. In this study, we investigated glutamatergic-serotonergic neuronal interaction in the ASD-like behavior induced by prenatal VPA exposure in mice. Prenatal VPA exposure induced not only excessive repetitive self-grooming behavior, impairments of social behavior and object recognition memory, but also increased glutamatergic signaling (CaMKII phosphorylation) and decreased serotonin contents in the prefrontal cortex. Memantine (low-affinity NMDA antagonist) suppressed both the increase of CaMKII phosphorylation and ASD-like behaviors. Activation of serotonergic signaling via 5-HT1A receptor by fluoxetine, tandospirone (5-HT1A receptor agonist) and optogenetics attenuated the ASD-like behaviors in prenatal VPA-exposed mice. WAY-100635 (5-HT1A receptor antagonist) antagonized the effect of fluoxetine on the ASD-like behaviors. These results suggest that the hyper-NMDA receptor signaling and ASD-like behaviors are associated with hypo-signaling of 5-HT1A receptor in the prenatal VPA-exposed mice.