A research group led by Associate Professor Ryuta Koyama and graduate student Megumi Ando of the University of Tokyo has shown the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of autism using autism model mice.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose main symptoms are social disorders and communication disorders, but the mechanism of its onset has not been fully elucidated and no radical treatment method has been established.The research group used autism model mice to investigate the effects of exercise on autism-like behavior and synaptic degeneration.
The research group allowed adult autism model mice to voluntarily wheel in a cage for one month with a wheel.After that, behavioral tests improved autism-like behaviors such as social disorders and stereotyped behaviors.
Also, focus on the synapses formed between the granule neurons and the pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA3 area.Increased synaptic density in adult autism model mice was found to result from developmental "synaptic pruning (removal of unwanted synapses)" insufficiency.Therefore, when the autism model mice were exercised, the synaptic density in the adult stage decreased to the same level as in the control group.
Furthermore, it was found that the amount of synaptic phagocytosis (removal amount) by microglia (microglia) was reduced in the developmental autism model mice.Therefore, when the mice were exercised, the amount of synaptic phagocytosis by microglia increased to the same level as in the control group.It was also found that increased activity of some granule neurons promotes synaptic phagocytosis by microglia.
This study reveals the importance of microglia for the onset and treatment of autism.In the future, it is expected that the onset mechanism of autism will be elucidated and new treatment targets will be created.
Paper information:[Cell Reports] Exercise reverses behavioral and synaptic abnormalities after maternal inflammation
