Sexually dimorphic neuroanatomical differences relate to ASD-relevant behavioral outcomes in a maternal autoantibody mouse model.

ABSTRACT: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies reactive to fetal brain proteins in mothers of children with ASD have been described by several groups. To understand their pathologic significance, we developed a mouse model of maternal autoantibody related ASD (MAR-ASD) utilizing the peptide epitopes from human autoantibody reactivity patterns. Male and female offspring prenatally exposed to the salient maternal autoantibodies displayed robust deficits in social interactions and increased repetitive self-grooming behaviors as juveniles and adults. In the present study, neuroanatomical differences in adult MAR-ASD and control offspring were assessed via high-resolution ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 6 months of age. Of interest, MAR-ASD mice displayed significantly larger total brain vol

SUBMITTER: Bruce MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8776898 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature