Autism spectrum disorder

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a complex heterogeneous condition that is characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and behavior which mostly co-exists with several comorbidities. The current prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in the general population is estimated to be 1 in 68 children. Despite significant advances in research and multiple treatment options, the management of the disease remains poor. Although there are governmental services and few non-governmental organizations working for individuals with autism, there is no official data available regarding the incidence and prevalence of autism in Malta Methods: This study focuses on the need of increasing awareness for autism spectrum disorder in Malta among the general public and health care professionals which would benefit a better understanding of the disorder for early diagnosis and more effective treatments. This was best provided through questionnaires. Results: Our survey revealed that only a limited percentage of the Maltese population had some knowledge about the symptoms, age of onset, potential causes of the disease and treatment options for autism. Conclusion: There is an immense need for improvement regarding the awareness of autism in Malta to estimate the exact burden of the disorder and make the latest diagnostic and treatment options available to the people living with this disease on the island

Palmitoylethanolamide modulates high-fat diet-shaped gut function and microbiota composition in obese mice

Introduction/Background & aims: Emerging data indicate a pivotal role for gut microbiota in the progression of obesity. Indeed, in the gut, high-fat diet (HFD) intake induces the loss of barrier integrity, causing the transfer of detrimental factors (i.e. lipopolysaccharide, LPS) into the systemic circulation, leading to metabolic dysfunctions and an overall state of low-grade inflammation, called “met- ainflammation” [1]. The metabolic and anti-inflammatory activities of palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endogenous lipid mediator, prompt us to evaluate its capability to improve intestinal homeostasis and shape gut microbiota composition altered in HFD-fed obese mice. Method/Summary of work: Male C57Bl/6 J mice received standard diet (STD) or HFD (n = 10 each group). After 12 weeks, a subgroup of HFD mice was treated with PEA (30 μg/kg/die per os) for 7 weeks. Body weight was monitored during the treatment and fat mass was evaluated at the end of experimental time. Systemic parameters and intestinal function were examined using ELISA assay, and Real-Time PCR analysis, respectively. Faecal microbiota was studied by per- forming 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and linear discriminant analy- sis in order to obtain the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) defining the bacterial communities

Autism spectrum disorder

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a complex heterogeneous condition that is characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and behavior which mostly co-exists with several comorbidities. The current prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in the general population is estimated to be 1 in 68 children. Despite significant advances in research and multiple treatment options, the management of the disease remains poor. Although there are governmental services and few non-governmental organizations working for individuals with autism, there is no official data available regarding the incidence and prevalence of autism in Malta.Methods: This study focuses on the need of increasing awareness for autism spectrum disorder in Malta among the general public and health care professionals which would benefit a better understanding of the disorder for early diagnosis and more effective treatments. This was best provided through questionnaires.Results: Our survey revealed that only a limited percentage of the Maltese population had some knowledge about the symptoms, age of onset, potential causes of the disease and treatment options for autism.Conclusion: There is an immense need for improvement regarding the awareness of autism in Malta to estimate the exact burden of the disorder and make the latest diagnostic and treatment options available to the people living with this disease on the island.peer-reviewe

Palmitoylethanolamide counteracts autistic-like behaviours in BTBR T+tf/J mice: Contribution of central and peripheral mechanisms

Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impaired social interaction, and repetitive stereotyped behaviours. Interestingly, functional and inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases are often reported as a comorbidity in ASDs, indicating gut-brain axis as a novel emerging approach. Recently, a central role for peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α has been addressed in neurological functions, associated with the behaviour. Among endogenous lipids, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a PPAR-α agonist, has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory effects both at central and peripheral level. Based on this background, the aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects of PEA on autistic-like behaviour of BTBR T+tf/J mice and to shed light on the contributing mechanisms. Our results showed that PEA reverted the altered behavioural phenotype of BTBR mice, and this effect was contingent to PPAR-α activation. Moreover, PEA was able to restore hippocampal BDNF signalling pathway, and improve mitochondrial dysfunction, both pathological aspects, known to be consistently associated with ASDs. Furthermore, PEA reduced the overall inflammatory state of BTBR mice, reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines at hippocampal, serum, and colonic level. The analysis of gut permeability and the expression of colonic tight junctions showed a reduction of leaky gut in PEA-treated BTBR mice. This finding together with PEA effect on gut microbiota composition suggests an involvement of microbiota-gut-brain axis. In conclusion, our results demonstrated a therapeutic potential of PEA in limiting ASD symptoms, through its pleiotropic mechanism of action, supporting neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory effects, and the modulation of gut-brain axis

Specific signatures of the gut microbiota and increased levels of butyrate in children treated with fermented cow's milk containing heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74

We recently demonstrated that cow's milk fermented with the probiotic L.paracasei CBA L74 (FM-CBAL74) reduces the incidence of respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections in young children attending school. This effect apparently derives from a complex regulation of non-immune and immune protective mechanisms. We investigated wheter FM-CBAL74 could regulate gut microbiota composition and butyrate production.We randomly selected 20 healthy children (12-48 months) from the previous randomized controlled trial, before (t0) and after 3 months (t3) of dietary treatment with FM-CBAL74 (FM), or placebo (PL). Fecal microbiota was profiled using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and fecal butyrate concentration was also measured. Microbial alpha and beta-diversity were not significantly different between groups prior to treatment. FM-CBAL74 but not PL treatment increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Individual Blautia, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium oligotypes were associated to FM-CBAL74 treatment and demonstrated correlative associations with immune biomarkers. Accordingly, PICRUSt analysis predicted an increase in the proportion of genes involved in butyrate production pathways, consistent with an increase in fecal butyrate observed only in the FM group. Dietary supplementation with FM-CBAL74 induces specific signatures in gut microbiota composition and stimulates butyrate production. These effects are associated with changes in innate and acquired immunity.Importance: The use of a fermented milk product containing the heat-killed probiotic strain L.paracasei CBAL74 induces changes in the gut microbiota, promoting the development of butyrate-producers. These changes in the gut microbiota composition correlate with increased levels of innate and acquired immunity biomarkers

Gut Microbiota Features in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Proliferation and/or depletion of clusters of specific bacteria regulate intestinal functions and may interfere with neuro-immune communication and behavior in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Consistently, qualitative and quantitative alteration of bacterial metabolites may functionally affect ASD pathophysiology. Up to date, age-restricted cohort studies, that may potentially help to identify specific microbial signatures in ASD, are lacking. We investigated the gut microbiota (GM) structure and fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in a cohort of young children (2–4 years of age) with ASD, with respect to age-matched neurotypical healthy controls. Strong increase of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and decrease of Actinobacteria was observed in these patients. Among the 91 OTUs whose relative abundance was altered in ASD patients, we observed a striking depletion of Bifidobacterium longum, one of the dominant bacteria in infant GM and, conversely, an increase of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a late colonizer of healthy human gut and a major butyrate producer. High levels of F. prausnitzii were associated to increase of fecal butyrate levels within normal range, and over representation of KEGG functions related to butyrate production in ASD patients. Here we report unbalance of GM structure with a shift in colonization by gut beneficial bacterial species in ASD patients as off early childhood

Botulinum Toxin A for Controlling Obesity

Rapid growth of the overweight population and the number of obese individuals in recent decades suggests that current strategies based on diet, exercise, and pharmacological knowledge are not sufficient to address this epidemic. Obesity is the result of a high caloric intake and energy storage, not counterbalanced by an equally important energy expense. Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) use is rapidly expanding to include treatment of a variety of ophthalmological, gastrointestinal, urological, orthopedic, dermatological, secretory, painful, and cosmetic disorders. Many studies evaluating the effect of BoNT-A in gastric antrum e/o fundus for the treatment of obesity have been published. This treatment modality was based on the observation that gastric injection of BoNT-A in laparatomized rats induced a significant reduction of food intake and body weight. These studies have been published yielding debated results. Differences in the selection of patients, the doses of BoNT-A, the method of administration of the toxin, and the instruments of evaluation of some parameters among these studies may be the cause. In this review, it will study the state-of-the-art use of BoNT-A in obesity basic science models and review the clinical evidence on the therapeutic applications of BoNT-A for obesity