Cadmium Exposure Is Associated with Behavioral Deficits and Neuroimmune Dysfunction in BTBR T + Itpr3tf/J Mice

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2023-03, Vol.24 (7), p.6575
• Main Authors: Alanazi, Mohammed M, Ansari, Mushtaq A, Nadeem, Ahmed, Attia, Sabry M, Bakheet, Saleh A, Al-Mazroua, Haneen A, Aldossari, Abdullah A, Almutairi, Mohammed M, Albekairi, Thamer H, Hussein, Marwa H, Al-Hamamah, Mohammed A, Ahmad, Sheikh F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Animal behavior; Animal models; Animals; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - metabolism; B cells; Behavior; Brain; Cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; CD4 antigen; Chemokines; Communication skills; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Etiology; Exposure; Flow cytometry; Gene expression; Grooming; Heavy metals; Inflammation; Interleukin 21; Interleukin-17 - metabolism; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred Strains; Molecular modelling; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 - genetics; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 - metabolism; Pathogenesis; RNA; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Social aspects; Social factors; Social interactions; Spleen; Stat3 protein; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076575

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurobehavioral disabilities characterized by impaired social interactions, poor communication skills, and restrictive/repetitive behaviors. Cadmium is a common heavy metal implicated in ASD. In this study, we investigated the effects of Cd exposure on BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice, an ASD model. We looked for changes in repetitive behaviors and sociability through experiments. We also explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of Cd exposure, focusing on proinflammatory cytokines and pathways. Flow cytometry measured IL-17A-, IL-17F-, IL-21-, TNF-α-, STAT3-, and RORγt-expressing CD4 T cells from the spleens of experimental mice. We then used RT-PCR to analyze IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, TNF-α, STAT3, and RORγ mRNA expression in the brain. The results of behavioral experiments showed that Cd exposure significantly increased self-grooming and marble-burying in BTBR mice while decreasing social interactions. Cd exposure also significantly increased the number of CD4 IL-17A , CD4 IL-17F , CD4 IL-21 , CD4 TNF-α , CD4 STAT3 , and CD4 RORγt cells, while upregulating the mRNA expression of the six molecules in the brain. Overall, our results suggest that oral exposure to Cd aggravates behavioral and immune abnormalities in an ASD animal model. These findings have important implications for ASD etiology and provide further evidence of heavy metals contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders through proinflammatory effects.