Fwd: Important New Study on Brain Autopsy Samples from Harvard University Med...

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From: mgeier@...Sent: 10/24/2010 11:33:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: Fwd: Important New Study on Brain Autopsy Samples from Harvard University Medical School

Dear Everyone,

Please find attached to this email the new brain autopsy study saved as Brain Region-Specific Changes in Oxidative Stress in ASDs1.pdf in Adobe Acrobat Format.

This new study, "Brain Region-Specific Changes in Oxidative Stress and Neurotrophin Levels in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)" by researchers from Harvard University Medical School was published in the peer-reviewed journal of Cerebellum.

These investigators described [emphasis added], "Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social and language deficits, stereotypic behavior, and abnormalities in motor functions. The particular set of behavioral impairments expressed in any given individual is variable across the spectrum. These behavioral abnormalities are consistent with our current understanding of the neuropathology of ASD which suggests abnormalities in the amygdala, temporal and frontal cortexes, hippocampus, and cerebellum. However, regions unrelated to these behavioral deficits appear largely intact."

Further, these investigators reported [emphasis added], "Both genetic predisposition and environmental toxins and toxicants...including mercury [2, 3]...have been implicated in the etiology of autism" and "...the impact of these environmental triggers is associated with increases in oxidative stress, and is further exacerbated when combined with genetic susceptibility."

Subsequently, these investigators stated [emphasis added], "We have previously reported increased levels of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a marker of oxidative stress, in ASD cerebella.We have also shown that this increase was associated with an elevation in neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) levels. The objectives of the current study were to determine whether the increase in oxidative stress in ASD is brain region-specific, to identify the specific brain regions affected by oxidative stress, and to compare brain region-specific NT-3 expression between ASD and control cases. The levels of 3-NTand NT-3 were measured with specific ELISAs in individual brain regions of two autistic and age- and post-mortem interval (PMI)–matched control donors. In the control brain, the levels of 3-NT were uniformly low in all brain regions examined ranging from 1.6 to 12.0 pmol/g. On the other hand, there was a great variation in 3-NT levels between individual brain regions of the autistic brains ranging from 1.7 to 281.2 pmol/g. The particular brain regions with the increased 3-NT...are associated with the speech processing, sensory and motor coordination, emotional and social behavior, and memory...These preliminary results reveal, for the first time, brain region-specific changes in oxidative stress marker 3-NT and neurotrophin-3 levels in ASD."

Sincerely,

Mark & Geier