GI Symptoms Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children, Especially Those With Autism

AHA Publisher — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:00:50 +0000

University of California – Davis Health via EurekAlert – A new UC Davis Health study found that common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation and bloating are linked to troubling sleep problems, self-harm and physical complaints in preschool children. According to the study, published Aug. 6 in Autism Research, these GI symptoms are much more common and potentially disruptive in young kids with autism. “Clinicians and parents need to be aware of the high occurrence of GI problems in kids with autism,” said Bibiana Restrepo, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics and first author on the study. “This study highlights the link between GI symptoms and some problematic behaviors we see in preschool-aged children.” Children With Autism Experience More Gastrointestinal Symptoms Gastrointestinal concerns are frequently reported by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers from the UC Davis MIND Institute evaluated the presence of GI symptoms in preschool-aged children with and without autism. The study included 255 (184 males/71 females) children with ASD between two and 3.5 years of age and 129 (75 males/54 females) typically developing children in the same age group. Pediatricians specializing in autism interviewed caregivers during the children’s medical evaluation. They asked the parents how often their children experienced GI symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, painful stooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, blood in stool and blood in vomit. The researchers grouped children in two categories: those who experienced one or more GI symptom and those who never or rarely had GI symptoms in the last three months. They compared the children in the two groups on measures of developmental, behavioral and adaptive functioning. The study found that preschool-aged children with ASD were 2.7 times more likely to experience GI symptoms than their typically developing peers. In fact, almost 50% of children with ASD reported frequent GI symptoms – compared to 18% of children with typical development. Around 30% of the children with ASD experienced multiple GI symptoms. Problem Behaviors as an Expression of GI Discomfort in Children Multiple GI symptoms were associated with increased challenges with sleep and attention, as well as problem behaviors related to self-harm, aggression and restricted or repetitive behavior in both autistic and typically developing children. The severity of these problems was higher in children with autism. “Problem behaviors may be an expression of GI discomfort in preschool-aged children,” said Christine Wu Nordahl, associate professor at UC Davis MIND Institute and the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “GI symptoms are often treatable, so it is important to recognize how common they are in children with autism. Treating their GI symptoms could potentially provide some relief to the kids and their parents.” The study found no link between GI symptoms and the children’s cognitive development or gender. GI symptoms were equally common in male and female preschool children. To read the original article click here.

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Blueprint of Oxytocin Receptor Facilitates Development of New Autism Drugs

AHA Publisher — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 07:00:43 +0000

University of Zurich via EurekAlert – The so-called “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” oxytocin is not only involved in strengthening the mother-child relationship and regulating social bonding. It also plays an important role in different mental health disorders like autism, Asperger’s syndrome, social anxiety or addiction vulnerability. Furthermore, oxytocin starts labor, the birth process, and features in many aspects of sexual reproduction – as well as corresponding disorders. The hormone exerts all these effects by binding to the oxytocin receptor. Substances that target the oxytocin receptor thus have great therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. New Drugs Are Difficult to Develop Since its discovery nearly 30 years ago, researchers have tried to develop drugs that bind specifically to the oxytocin receptor. However, conducting such experiments proved to be very difficult. Except for the hormone oxytocin itself, hardly any drug targeting the oxytocin receptor has been approved for clinical use. A team led by Andreas Plückthun, professor at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Zurich (UZH), has now determined the detailed three-dimensional structure of the oxytocin receptor bound to the drug candidate retosiban, which was developed for the suppression of preterm labor. “The elucidation of the oxytocin receptor’s structure was an extremely challenging undertaking, which only succeeded thanks to a combination of directed evolution and protein engineering methods we developed over the last few years,” says Plückthun. “Understanding the exact three-dimensional interaction of retosiban and the oxytocin receptor at the atomic level serves as the blueprint for developing new therapeutics that regulate the receptor’s functioning.” Improved Understanding of Receptor Mechanism The scientists also made an additional discovery. “To allow efficient propagation of oxytocin-induced signaling, the oxytocin receptor has to interact with two additional substances – cholesterol and magnesium,” says PhD candidate Yann Waltenspühl. Determining the exact receptor shape enabled the researchers to identify interaction regions for both of these substances. “The identification of these previously unknown regions fundamentally improves the understanding of the receptor mechanism,” adds the first author of the study. Boosting the Development of New Therapeutics for Other Diseases The new findings might also be directly applicable to the very closely related vasopressin receptors. The hormone vasopressin controls the water content of body fluids and the blood pressure, and its receptors are therefore drug targets for the treatment of many diseases – from kidney disease to heart failure. Just like the oxytocin receptor, the vasopressin receptors have also been implicated in autism spectrum disorders. “Our work could thus boost the development of new drugs for a very broad range of widespread and severe human diseases,” concludes Andreas Plückthun. To read the original article click here.

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GI Symptoms Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children, Especially Those With Autism

Blueprint of Oxytocin Receptor Facilitates Development of New Autism Drugs