Lutein-loaded nanoparticles reverse oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors induced by prenatal valproic acid exposure in female rats

• Autor(a) principal: Viana, Cristini Escobar
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Bortolotto, Vandreza Cardoso, Araujo, Stifani Machado, Dahleh, Mustafa Munir, Machado, Franciele Romero, Pereira, Adson de Souza, Oliveira, Byanca Pereira Moreira de, Leimann, Fernanda Vitória, Gonçalves, Odinei Hess, Prigol, Marina, Guerra, Gustavo Petri
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/10450
• topic: Neurodevelopmental disorder; Carotenoid; Social memory; Nanoencapsulation; Sociability; Repetitive behaviors

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and repetitive behaviors. In this study, we assessed the effect of lutein-loaded nanoparticles on ASD-like be-haviors induced by prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure in female offspring rats and the possible involvement of oxidative stress and apoptosis. Pregnant female Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA (600 mg/kg), on the gestational day 12.5. The VPA-exposed female offspring rats were divided into two sub-groups and received either lutein-loaded nanoparticles (5 mg/kg) or saline by oral gavage, for 14 days. The animals were submitted to the three-chamber test and open field to evaluate ASD-like behaviors. The hippo -campus was removed for the determination of oxidative stress indicators (ROS; TBARS; SOD and Nrf2) and apoptosis biomarkers (Hsp-70; p38-MAPK; Bax and Bcl-2). The exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles reversed sociability deficit, social memory deficit, and anxiety-like and repetitive behaviors induced by VPA, and restored the oxidative stress indicators and apoptosis biomarkers in the hippocampus. This neurochemical effect must be associated with the reversal of ASD-like behaviors. These results provide evidence that lutein-loaded nano -particles are an alternative treatment for VPA-induced behavioral damage in female rats and suggest the involvement of oxidative stress.