title: Altered Microglia in the Amygdala Are Involved in Anxiety-related Behaviors of a Copy Number Variation Mouse Model of Autism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic basis. Although anxiety is a common major psychiatric condition in ASD, the underlying mechanisms of the anxiety are poorly understood. In individuals with ASD, evidence indicates a structural abnormality in the amygdala, a key component involved in anxiety and social behavior. Microglia, which are central nervous system-resident immune cells implicated in neurodevelopmental processes, are also reportedly altered in ASD. In the present study, we examined the involvement of microglia in the anxiety-related behaviors of ASD model mouse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice that have a 6.3-Mb paternal duplication (patDp/+) corresponding to human chromosome 15q11-q13 were used as an ASD model. Iba1, a microglial activation marker, was examined in the amygdala using immunofluorescence. Effects of perinatal treatment with minocycline, a microglial modulator, on anxiety-related behaviors were examined in neonatal and adolescent patDp/+ mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patDp/+ mice, Iba1 was decreased in the basolateral amygdala at postnatal day 7, but not at postnatal days 37-40. Perinatal treatment with minocycline restored the Iba1 expression and reduced anxiety-related behaviors in patDp/+ adolescent mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perinatal microglia in the basolateral amygdala may play a pathogenic role in the anxiety observed in a mouse model of ASD with duplication of human chromosome 15q11-q13.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Nippon Medical School, 2) Department of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shigemori
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takumi
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D058674:Chromosome Duplication; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018628:Gene Dosage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: C491049:Aif1 protein, mouse; D015415:Biomarkers; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008911:Minocycline