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Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research

The enteric bacterial metabolite propionic acid alters brain and plasma phospholipid molecular species: further development of a rodent model of autism spectrum disorders

Authors: Raymond H Thomas, Melissa M Meeking, Jennifer R Mepham, Lisa Tichenoff, Fred Possmayer, Suya Liu, Derrick F MacFabe

Published in: Journal of Neuroinflammation | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

Gastrointestinal symptoms and altered blood phospholipid profiles have been reported in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Most of the phospholipid analyses have been conducted on the fatty acid composition of isolated phospholipid classes following hydrolysis. A paucity of information exists on how the intact phospholipid molecular species are altered in ASD. We applied ESI/MS to determine how brain and blood intact phospholipid species were altered during the induction of ASD-like behaviors in rats following intraventricular infusions with the enteric bacterial metabolite propionic acid. Animals were infused daily for 8 days, locomotor activity assessed, and animals killed during the induced behaviors. Propionic acid infusions increased locomotor activity. Lipid analysis revealed treatment altered 21 brain and 30 blood phospholipid molecular species. Notable alterations were observed in the composition of brain SM, diacyl mono and polyunsaturated PC, PI, PS, PE, and plasmalogen PC and PE molecular species. These alterations suggest that the propionic acid rat model is a useful tool to study aberrations in lipid metabolism known to affect membrane fluidity, peroxisomal function, gap junction coupling capacity, signaling, and neuroinflammation, all of which may be associated with the pathogenesis of ASD.

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Title: The enteric bacterial metabolite propionic acid alters brain and plasma phospholipid molecular species: further development of a rodent model of autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Raymond H Thomas
Melissa M Meeking
Jennifer R Mepham
Lisa Tichenoff
Fred Possmayer
Suya Liu
Derrick F MacFabe
Publication date: 01-12-2012
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Journal of Neuroinflammation / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1742-2094
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-2094-9-153

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The enteric bacterial metabolite propionic acid alters brain and plasma phospholipid molecular species: further development of a rodent model of autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

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Abstract

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