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Molecular Autism
Published in: Molecular Autism 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

Glutathione metabolism in the prefrontal brain of adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: an MRS study

Authors: Dominique Endres, Ludger Tebartz van Elst, Simon A. Meyer, Bernd Feige, Kathrin Nickel, Anna Bubl, Andreas Riedel, Dieter Ebert, Thomas Lange, Volkmar Glauche, Monica Biscaldi, Alexandra Philipsen, Simon J. Maier, Evgeniy Perlov

Published in: Molecular Autism | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by difficulties in social communication, unusually restricted, repetitive behavior and interests, and specific abnormalities in language and perception. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and probably heterogeneous. In a subgroup of patients, toxic environmental exposure might lead to an imbalance between oxidative stress and anti-oxidant systems. Previous serum and postmortem studies measuring levels of glutathione (GSH), the main cellular free radical scavenger in the brain, have supported the hypothesis that this compound might play a role in the pathophysiology of autism.

Methods

Using the method of single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we analyzed the GSH signal in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of 24 ASD patients with normal or above average IQs and 18 matched control subjects. We hypothesized that we would find decreased GSH concentrations in both regions.

Results

We did not find overall group differences in neurometabolites including GSH, neither in the dorsal ACC (Wilks’ lambda test; p = 0.429) nor in the DLPFC (p = 0.288). In the dACC, we found a trend for decreased GSH signals in ASD patients (p = 0.076).

Conclusions

We were unable to confirm our working hypothesis regarding decreased GSH concentrations in the ASD group. Further studies combining MRS, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid measurements of GSH metabolism including other regions of interest or even whole brain spectroscopy are needed.
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Metadata
Title
Glutathione metabolism in the prefrontal brain of adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: an MRS study
Authors
Dominique Endres
Ludger Tebartz van Elst
Simon A. Meyer
Bernd Feige
Kathrin Nickel
Anna Bubl
Andreas Riedel
Dieter Ebert
Thomas Lange
Volkmar Glauche
Monica Biscaldi
Alexandra Philipsen
Simon J. Maier
Evgeniy Perlov
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Molecular Autism / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2040-2392
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-017-0122-3

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