Dietary docosahexaenoic acid alleviates autistic-like behaviors resulting from maternal immune activation in mice.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders over the last several decades has risen at an alarming rate. Factors such as broadened clinical definitions and increased parental age only partially account for this precipitous increase, suggesting that recent changes in environmental factors may also be responsible. One such factor could be the dramatic decrease in consumption of anti-inflammatory dietary omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) relative to the amount of pro-inflammatory omega-6 (n-6) PUFAs and saturated fats in the Western diet.

Consequences of cannabinoid and monoaminergic system disruption in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairment in social, communication skills and stereotype behaviors. While autism may be uniquely human, there are behavioral characteristics in ASDs that can be mimicked using animal models. We used the BTBR T+tf/J mice that have been shown to exhibit autism-like behavioral phenotypes to 1).

Density and function of central serotonin (5-HT) transporters, 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, and effects of their targeting on BTBR T+tf/J mouse social behavior.

BTBR mice are potentially useful tools for autism research because their behavior parallels core social interaction impairments and restricted-repetitive behaviors. Altered regulation of central serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission may underlie such behavioral deficits. To test this, we compared 5-HT transporter (SERT), 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptor densities among BTBR and C57 strains.

Zebrafish Behavior in Novel Environments: Effects of Acute Exposure to Anxiolytic Compounds and Choice of Danio rerio Line.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) associative responses are useful for pharmaceutical and toxicology screening, behavioral genetics, and discovering neural mechanisms involved in behavioral modulation. In novel environments, zebrafish swim to tank bottoms and dark backgrounds, behaviors attributed to anxiety associated with threat of predation. To examine possible genetic effects of inbreeding and segregation on this behavior, we compared Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) AB and WIK lines to zebrafish and GloFish® from a pet store (PETCO) in two qualitatively different novel environments: the dive tank and aquatic light/dark plus maze.

A nonsynonymous polymorphism in cannabinoid CB2 receptor gene is associated with eating disorders in humans and food intake is modified in mice by its ligands.

Marijuana use activates cannabinoid receptors (CB-Rs) producing several behavioral effects related to addiction, mood, and appetite. We investigated the association between CNR2 gene, which encodes cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2-R) and eating disorders in 204 subjects with eating disorders and 1876 healthy volunteers in Japanese population. The effect of treatment with CB2-R ligands on mouse food consumption was also determined.