title: Administration of thimerosal-containing vaccines to infant rhesus macaques does not result in autism-like behavior or neuropathology.
abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Some anecdotal reports suggest that ASD is related to exposure to ethyl mercury, in the form of the vaccine preservative, thimerosal, and/or receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Using infant rhesus macaques receiving thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) following the recommended pediatric vaccine schedules from the 1990s and 2008, we examined behavior, and neuropathology in three brain regions found to exhibit neuropathology in postmortem ASD brains. No neuronal cellular or protein changes in the cerebellum, hippocampus, or amygdala were observed in animals following the 1990s or 2008 vaccine schedules. Analysis of social behavior in juvenile animals indicated that there were no significant differences in negative behaviors between animals in the control and experimental groups. These data indicate that administration of TCVs and/or the MMR vaccine to rhesus macaques does not result in neuropathological abnormalities, or aberrant behaviors, like those observed in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Bharathi S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Gadad
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Wenhao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yazdani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grady
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.affiliation: Infant Primate Research Laboratory, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Britni
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Infant Primate Research Laboratory, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: English
authors.affiliation: Infant Primate Research Laboratory, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Vernon
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yutuc
authors.affiliation: Infant Primate Research Laboratory, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Clayton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrier
authors.affiliation: Infant Primate Research Laboratory, Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Gene P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Sackett
authors.affiliation: Independent Consultant, Austin, TX 78711;
authors.forename: C Nathan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M Health Science Center & Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504;
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390; Johnson Center for Child Health & Development, Austin, TX 78701.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hewitson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390; dwight.german@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Dwight C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: German
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D064026:Calbindins / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000069338:Neuropathology / Q000379:methods; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: C491049:Aif1 protein, mouse; D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D014612:Vaccines; D013849:Thimerosal; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; C402565:glutamate decarboxylase 1
keywords: autism; neuropathology; pediatric vaccines; rhesus macaque; thimerosal