Oxytocin Receptor in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells Does Not Engage in Autism-Related Behaviors.
Li-Ping ShenWei LiLing-Zhu PeiJun YinShu-Tao XieHong-Zhao LiChao YanJian-Jun WangQipeng ZhangXiao-Yang ZhangJing-Ning ZhuPublished in: Cerebellum (London, England) (2022)
The classical motor center cerebellum is one of the most consistent structures of abnormality in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and neuropeptide oxytocin is increasingly explored as a potential pharmacotherapy for ASD. However, whether oxytocin targets the cerebellum for therapeutic effects remains unclear. Here, we report a localization of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in Purkinje cells (PCs) of cerebellar lobule Crus I, which is functionally connected with ASD-implicated circuits. OXTR activation neither affects firing activities, intrinsic excitability, and synaptic transmission of normal PCs nor improves abnormal intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission of PCs in maternal immune activation (MIA) mouse model of autism. Furthermore, blockage of OXTR in Crus I in wild-type mice does not induce autistic-like social, stereotypic, cognitive, and anxiety-like behaviors. These results suggest that oxytocin signaling in Crus I PCs seems to be uninvolved in ASD pathophysiology, and contribute to understanding of targets and mechanisms of oxytocin in ASD treatment.
Keyphrases
- autism spectrum disorder
- intellectual disability
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- induced apoptosis
- wild type
- mouse model
- cell cycle arrest
- healthcare
- type diabetes
- cell death
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- mental health
- high resolution
- depressive symptoms
- physical activity
- risk assessment
- climate change
- cell proliferation
- binding protein
- metabolic syndrome
- smoking cessation
- skeletal muscle