Clinical Research
Association of endocannabinoid and its metabolic enzymes with severity in children with autism spectrum disorder
Li Dexin, Li Ling, Zou Mingyang, Liu Yu, Xie Shu, Sun Caihong
Published 2020-03-20
Cite as Chin J Behav Med & Brain Sci, 2020,29(03): 245-249. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn371468-20190905-00595
Abstract
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between endocannabinoid (eCB) and its metabolic enzymes and severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to provide a theoretical basis for the study of the etiology and pathogenesis of ASD.
MethodsA case-control study was conducted to collect 58 ASD children who underwent rehabilitation training at the Children's Developmental Behavior Research Center of Harbin Medical University and the provincial autism rehabilitation facility from December 2017 to December 2018 as the ASD group.According to the principle of gender and age 1∶1 matching, 58 normal children were selected as control group in Heilongjiang Province.Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to detect eCB of ASD group and control group, including anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and its metabolic enzymes: n-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL) mRNA expression levels.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the level of eCB and ASD children's severity.
ResultsThe levels of AEA, OEA and PEA in ASD children ((10.10±2.6)nmol/L, (24.30±5.60)nmol/L, (15.92±2.28)nmol/L) were lower than those in the control group ((13.46±3.04)nmol/L, (27.85± 6.89)nmol/L, (17.87±2.67)nmol/L, t=-6.612, -3.99, -4.779, P<0.01). The expression levels of FAAH and DAGL mRNA in ASD children were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(t=2.423, 3.840, P<0.05), while NAPE-PLD and MAGL mRNA levels were not significantly different between the two groups (t=0.024, 0.885, P>0.05). The level of PEA in the ASD group was negatively correlated with the total score of the autism behavior checklist (ABC) (r=-0.288, P<0.05).
ConclusionThere may be metabolic abnormalities in eCB and its metabolic enzymes in ASD children, and the level of eCB is related with the severity of ASD.
Key words:
Autism spectrum disorder; Endocannabinoid; Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Contributor Information
Li Dexin
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Li Ling
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Zou Mingyang
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Liu Yu
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Xie Shu
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
Sun Caihong
Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
