Effect of vanillin via olfactory pathway on repetitive stereotyped behavior in autistic rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of vanillin via olfactory pathway on repetitive stereotyped behavior in autistic rats and its possible mechanism.Methods The model of autism was established by the single intraperitoneal injection of 600 mg/kg sodium valproate on day 12.5 of pregnant rats.Twenty-four autism animals were adopted according to the eye opening time,body mass and behavioral test.They were randomly divided into control group and vanillin group with 12 in each group,while the saline group rats as normal control group and the blank group rats as normal blank group.The repetitive stereotyped behavioral were examined in four groups of rats and the concentration of 5-HT in the amygdala was determined by immunohistochemical stainning.Results Compared with the control group,the repetitive stereotyped behaviors of vanillin group decreased (stereotype time (113.31 ± 18.45) s vs (250.52± 13.25) s,P＜0.01) and the expression of 5-HT in amygdala increased (5-HT positive neuron number(3.42± 1.32) vs (1.32± 1.04),P＜0.05).Conclusions Vanillin via olfactory pathway can improve repetitive stereotyped behaviors of autism rats,which is associated with increased the expression of 5-HT in amygdala.