Neonatal Exposure to Valproate Induces Long-Term Alterations in Steroid Hormone Levels in the Brain Cortex of Prepubertal Rats.

ABSTRACT: Valproic acid (VPA) is a known drug for treating epilepsy and mood disorders; however, it is not recommended for pregnant women because of its possible teratogenicity. VPA affects neurotransmission and gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms by acting as a histone deacetylase inhibitor and has been used to establish animal models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, studies on the long-term effects of early exposure to VPA on glucocorticoid and neurosteroid synthesis in the brain are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the long-term changes in metabolic alterations and gene expression regulation according to sex, using metabolic steroid profiling data from cerebral cortex samples of rats four weeks after VPA exposure (400 mg/kg). In neonatal VPA-exposed models,

SUBMITTER: Kim SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10094755 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature