Low-dose thyroxine attenuates autism-associated adverse effects of fetal alcohol in male offspring's social behavior and hippocampal gene expression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is characterized by neurodevelopmental anomalies manifesting in cognitive and behavioral deficits in the offspring with diverse severities. Social behavior is affected in FASD, and these deficits overlap with those of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identifying some of the molecular characteristics related to ASD in an animal model of FASD could ultimately provide details on the underlying molecular mechanisms of both disorders that could lead to novel treatments.

Methods

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received the following diets: control (C; ad libitum standard laboratory chow), nutritional control pair-fed (PF), ethanol (EtOH), or an EtOH diet supplemented with 0.3, 1.5, or 7.5 mg thyroxine (T4)/l in the diet. Social behavio

SUBMITTER: Tunc-Ozcan E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3805686 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature