AUTHOR=Wang Xiaona , Guo Jisheng , Song Yinsen , Wang Qi , Hu Shunan , Gou Lingshan , Gao Yinbo 

TITLE=Decreased Number and Expression of nNOS-Positive Interneurons in Basolateral Amygdala in Two Mouse Models of Autism

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2018.00251

DOI=10.3389/fncel.2018.00251

ISSN=1662-5102

ABSTRACT=<p>The basolateral amygdala (BLA) controls socio-emotional behaviors and is involved in the etiology of autism. We have recently shown that virtually every neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) positive cell is a GABAergic inhibitory interneuron in the mouse BLA. Here, stereology was used to quantify the number of nNOS-expressing interneurons in valproic acid (VPA)-exposed C57BL/6J (B6) and BTBR T<sup>+</sup>Itpr3<sup>tf</sup>/J (BTBR) mice models of autism. Additionally, the protein and mRNA levels of nNOS in the BLA were quantitatively assessed by western blot and qRT-PCR analysis, respectively. Our results showed the decreased number of nNOS interneurons in the BLA of animal models relative to autism. Consistently, nNOS was significantly reduced in the VPA-exposed and BTBR mice at both protein and mRNA levels. Together, these preliminary findings suggest that down-regulation of nNOS may be an attractive target for the pharmacological intervention in autism.</p>