Assessment of the protective effects of high doses of prenatal L-carnitine on the development of valproic acid induced autism

Berg, Benjamin

Assessment of the protective effects of high doses of prenatal L-carnitine on the development of valproic acid induced autism

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/34384

Author(s)

Berg, Benjamin

Date Issued

April 1, 2013

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder in which an individual has difficulty with social interaction, impaired communication skills, and stereotyped repetitive behaviors. The current etiology is not known but the administration of teratogens, such as valproic acid (VPA), during a critical time during development has been shown to produce characteristic symptoms of autism in rats. It has been hypothesized that the dysfunction of the biochemical carnitine, due to VPA, plays a role in the development of autism. Sprague-Dawley rats were tested in adolescence and adulthood to determine if pre-natal carnitine supplementation prevented the development of autism due to VPA administration during a critical time of development. The results were inconclusive, as three out of the four behavioral tests did not show the presence of autism in subjects treated with VPA. It was determined, based on only one behavioral test, that carnitine did not have a protective effect against the development of autism, though further testing is needed to confirm these results before carnitine supplements can be ruled out as a possible protective treatment against the development of autism.

First Reader(s)

Hollerman, Jeffrey R.