Objective: While autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized
by language and social deficits, recent studies have highlighted
striking dysregulation in the neural, peripheral, and enteric immune
systems of autistic individuals. There are also reports that subsets of
children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display gastrointestinal
(GI) abnormalities, including chronic inflammation of the colon,
increased intestinal permeability and altered composition of GI
microbiota. Moreover, antibiotic treatment and restricted diet are
reported to provide behavioral improvements for some ASD children.
We use a mouse model of an ASD risk factor, maternal immune activation
(MIA), to assess whether offspring, which display core behavioral
and neuropathological features of autism, also display ASD-associated
GI symptoms. To explore the potential connections between GI problems
and the brain and behavior,we test whether postnatal administration
of a probiotic influences GI and ASD-related behaviors