“Serotonin Plays Role in Many Autism Cases, Studies Confirm - Phramalive.com” plus 1 more |
| Serotonin Plays Role in Many Autism Cases, Studies Confirm - Phramalive.com Posted: Rise in substance's level in the brain improved social behaviors in mice SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 24, 2011) — Mouse models are yielding important clues about the nature of autism spectrum disorders, which impact an estimated one in 110 children in the U.S.[1] In labs at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, researchers are studying strains of mice that inherently mimic the repetitive and socially impaired behaviors present in these disorders. Georgianna Gould, Ph.D., research assistant professor of physiology in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, is eyeing the role that serotonin plays in autism spectrum disorders. Serotonin is known for giving a sense of well-being and happiness. It is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that acts like a radio tower in the brain conveying signals among cells called neurons. Thirty percent of autism cases may have a serotonin component.[2] In a recent paper in the Journal of Neurochemistry, Dr. Gould and colleagues showed that a medication called buspirone improved the social behaviors of mice. Buspirone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in adults as an anti-anxiety and antidepressant adjuvant medication. Some genetic variations result in diminished transmission of serotonin between neurons. Buspirone increased transmission by partially mimicking the effects of serotonin at cellular sites called receptors. Reactions to newly encountered mouse Social interaction behaviors of the mice were measured by placing them in a three-chamber social interaction test and positioning a "stranger" mouse in one of the chambers. Buspirone-treated mice spent more time in the chamber with the stranger mouse than untreated mice and more time sniffing the stranger. IMAGE: In research studies of autism spectrum disorder, social interaction behaviors of mice were measured by placing them in a three-chamber social interaction test and positioning a "stranger " mouse in one...
"No animal model is completely characteristic of humans, and we're far from saying that buspirone is a treatment for behaviors of autistic people," Dr. Gould said. "But this does offer further proof that serotonin is involved in a significant proportion of autism cases." Support from the San Antonio Area Foundation made the project possible. Co-authors of the journal article are Julie Hensler, Ph.D., and Teri Frosto Burke, M.S., of the pharmacology department at the Health Science Center; Lynette Daws, Ph.D., of the university's physiology department in whose lab the work was conducted; and Robert Benno, Ph.D., and Emmanuel Onaivi, Ph.D., of the biology department at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. 2nd serotonin-related avenue Dr. Gould now plans to study the impact of a diet rich in the amino acid, tryptophan, on the social behavior of the mice. Tryptophan is a biochemical precursor of serotonin, which means it is converted into serotonin during the metabolic process. Foods such as turkey are rich in tryptophan. "We are going to supplement the diet of mice with tryptophan to see if behavior improves, and also reduce it to see if behavior worsens," Dr. Gould said. The future study of tryptophan is funded by the Morrison Trust, a San Antonio trust that lists nutrition as one of its topics of interest. ### [1] http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html#prevalence [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21254450 On the Web and Twitter For current news from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, please visit our news release website or follow us on Twitter @uthscsa. About the UT Health Science Center San Antonio The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country's leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving U.S. federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled $228 million in fiscal year 2010. The university's schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 26,000 graduates. The $744 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways "We make lives better®," visit www.uthscsa.edu. Contact: Will Sansom This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| County makes health history - Highlands Ranch Herald Posted: In college, I got a bean bag chair. I also gave up the daily exercise program I'd followed for years. There was neither privacy nor room in my dorm. By the end of the second semester, suddenly, I had a problem. I was in constant lower back and limb pain. I started to need to walk with a cane. A visit to the doctor revealed that I had a small hole in my spine. The problem traced back to a condition called spina bifida. It's a birth defect. In my case, I could control it simply by getting rid of the bean bag chair and going back to my exercise routine. But tens of thousands of people suffer from spina bifida. Eventually, after lots of research, it turned out that there's a simple "cure": pregnant women need to take a daily B-vitamin with folic acid. That's it. Spina bifida is largely preventable. Now suppose you knew that you could make a big difference in the quality of human life, particularly in the area of what makes a healthy child. You wouldn't have to change anything about your own life, other than to pay attention, and to contribute information to a scientific study. You would do it, right? Why wouldn't you? There are a few catches. This is a big study — you'd sign up for 21 years. You'd be a volunteer. It's not a paid job. You have to live in Douglas County, Colorado. We are one of just 105 counties in the United States selected from which to gather data. And most important: you have to be, or trying to be, pregnant. (Sorry, men. This influential opportunity is available to women only.)In brief, that's the aim of the National Children's Study. You can find out more about it at www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov. Or as they put it, "The National Children's Study will examine the effects of the environment, as broadly defined to include factors such as air, water, diet, sound, family dynamics, community and cultural influences, and genetics on the growth, development, and health of children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21 years. The goal of the study is to improve the health and well-being of children and contribute to understanding the role various factors have on health and disease. Findings from the study will be made available as the research progresses, making potential benefits known to the public as soon as possible." It's hard to know in advance what the findings will be. Not all children's health issues — diabetes, mental illness, autism, asthma, and so on — may have such straightforward remedies as spina bifida did. But the way we learn big things is through the steady accretion of small details. If you're interested in participating, and I hope you are, understand that there are two levels. The first, the most engaged, is only available to those who live within particular ranges of addresses. These have been selected randomly throughout the county. To maintain statistical validity (and thus make the data collection truly significant), these folks will contribute the most information. Who they are, of course, is strictly confidential. Anonymity will be strictly preserved, unless they choose to identify themselves. Nor will participants be in any way judged. You never know: pizza and video games just might be the key to childhood vitality. A second level, those who don't happen to live at those addresses, can still help. They can talk about it enough to help the study recruit the first group. They can contribute many other kinds of information that may prove helpful. Ultimately, the goal is to find 1,000 Douglas County participants, and more than 100,000 participants nationwide. The National Children's Study may well help unravel issues that have plagued our children since the dawn of time. Interested Douglas County women should call 303-799-6257, or email ncs.co@ucdenver.edu. It's no exaggeration to say that this study will make history. Don't you want to be a part of it? Jamie LaRue is director of Douglas County Libraries. LaRue's Views are his own This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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