Published online Jul 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i7.1095
Revised: May 13, 2024
Accepted: June 4, 2024
Published online: July 19, 2024
Processing time: 163 Days and 22.9 Hours
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavior. Gastrointestinal (GI) problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease, commonly occur in patients with ASD. Previously, GI problems of ASD patients were attributed to intestinal inflammation and vertical mother-to-infant microbiome transmission.
To explore whether GI problems in ASD are related to maternal intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota abnormalities.
An ASD rat model was developed using valproic acid (VPA). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fecal 16S rRNA sequencing were used to test GI changes.
VPA exposure during pregnancy led to pathological maternal intestinal changes, resulting in alterations in maternal gut microbiota. Additionally, the levels of inflammatory factors also increased. Moreover, prenatal exposure to VPA resulted in impaired duodenal motility in the offspring as well as increased levels of infla
GI problems in ASD may be associated with maternal intestinal inflammation and microbiota abnormality. Future research is required to find more evidence on the etiology and treatment of GI problems in ASD.
Core Tip: In previous studies, the etiology and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) tract disease in autistic patients have not received sufficient attention. Thus, our research focused more on GI problems in autism, and used the valproic acid-induced autism model to explore the relationship of maternal gut microbiota and inflammation with offspring GI problems. In this study, we found that valproic acid exposure during pregnancy was related to pathological maternal intestinal changes and alterations in maternal gut microbiota. Our findings will provide more evidence and possibilities for autism intervention.