ASD
are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social
behavior and repetitive interests. Individuals with ASD often also display
decreased empathy, while recent report indicates that individuals with ASD show
enhanced emotional empathy than typically developed individuals. In this study,
Takayama et al. assessed socially transmitted fear in observational fear
learning paradigm as a proxy of emotional empathy in VPA-treated mice, ASD
model mice. The authors found that hyperactivity of oxytocin neurons in the
paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus in VPA-treated mice enhanced
empathy-like behaviors in observational fear learning paradigm.
Circadian clock disruption has been linked to
diseases ranging from metabolic syndrome to cancer. Therefore, the circadian
system has become an attractive target for research and clinical care
innovations. The authors show that the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor Gpr176
is involved in light entrainment of the circadian clock through a mechanism
requiring two related neuropeptides, neuromedin U and neuromedin S. It is
suggested by the authors that simultaneous modulation of these neuropeptides and Gpr176 may constitute a potential
therapeutic option for modulating the circadian clock.