IntroductionAutism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behaviors. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a potential treatment for autism, although its effects on behavior and gene expression are not well understood. The GRIN2B gene, known for its involvement in encoding a glutamate receptor subunit crucial for neuron communication and associated with autism, was a focus of this study.MethodsUsing a rat model induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid, we examined the impact of HBOT on autism-like behaviors and GRIN2B gene expression. Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups: control, VPA (valproic acid-exposed), VPA+HBOT [2 atmosphere absolute (ATA)], and VPA+HBOT (2.5 ATA). The rats underwent several behavioral tests to assess social behavior, anxiety, stereotype and exploratory behaviors, and learning. Following the behavioral tests, the HBOT groups received 15 sessions of HBOT at pressures of 2 and 2.5 (ATA), and their behaviors were re-evaluated. Subsequently, real-time PCR was employed to measure GRIN2B gene expression in the frontal lobe.ResultsOur results indicated that HBOT significantly increased social interaction and exploratory behaviors in VPA-exposed rats, alongside elevated GRIN2B gene expression in their frontal lobe.DiscussionOur findings imply that HBOT might have a potential role in ameliorating autism-related behaviors in the VPA rat model of autism through potential modulation of GRIN2B gene expression. However, additional research is essential to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms and refine the HBOT protocol for optimizing its effectiveness in improving autism-related symptoms.

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高压氧治疗对丙戊酸暴露大鼠自闭症行为及GRIN2B基因表达的影响

简介自闭症是一种复杂的神经发育疾病，其特征是社交互动、沟通和重复行为受限。高压氧疗法（HBOT）已成为自闭症的潜在治疗方法，尽管其对行为和基因表达的影响尚不清楚。这GRIN2B该基因因参与编码对神经元通讯至关重要并与自闭症相关的谷氨酸受体亚基而闻名，是本研究的重点。方法使用产前暴露于丙戊酸诱导的大鼠模型，我们检查了 HBOT 对自闭症样症状的影响行为和GRIN2B基因表达。雄性 Wistar 大鼠分为四组：对照组、VPA（丙戊酸暴露）、VPA+HBOT [2 个大气压绝对 (ATA)] 和 VPA+HBOT (2.5 ATA)。这些老鼠接受了多项行为测试，以评估社交行为、焦虑、刻板印象和探索行为以及学习。行为测试后，HBOT 组在 2 和 2.5 (ATA) 压力下接受 15 次 HBOT，并重新评估他们的行为。随后，采用实时荧光定量PCR (real-time PCR) 来测量GRIN2B结果我们的结果表明，HBOT 显着增加了暴露于 VPA 的大鼠的社交互动和探索行为，同时也提高了GRIN2B讨论我们的研究结果表明，HBOT 可能通过潜在调节自闭症 VPA 大鼠模型，在改善自闭症相关行为方面发挥潜在作用。GRIN2B基因表达。然而，为了充分理解潜在机制并完善 HBOT 方案以优化其改善自闭症相关症状的有效性，还需要进行额外的研究。