Autism spectrum disorder is associated with alterations in GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Here, we aimed to determine the concentration of GABA, glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, taurine, and glycine in brain tissue and plasma of rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA), a well-characterized experimental model of autism. Pregnant rats were injected with VPA (600mg/Kg) during the twelfth-embryonic-day. Control rats were injected with saline. On the fourteen-postnatal-day, rats from both groups (males and females) were anesthetized, euthanized by decapitation and their brain dissected out. The frontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, brain stem and cerebellum were dissected and homogenized. Homogenates were centrifuged and supernatants were used to quantify amino acid concentrations by HPLC coupled with fluorometric detection. Blood samples were obtained by a cardiac puncture; plasma was separated and deproteinized to quantify amino acid concentration by HPLC. We found that, in VPA rats, glutamate and glutamine concentrations were increased in hippocampus and glycine concentration was increased in cortex. We did not find changes in other regions or in plasma amino acid concentration in the VPA group with respect to control group. Our results suggest that VPA exposure in utero may impair inhibitory and excitatory amino acid transmission in the infant brain.

Background: Epidemiological evidence indicates epilepsy is more common in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (20–25%) than in the general population. The aim of this project was to analyze seizure susceptibility in developing rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA) as autism model.Methods: Pregnant females were injected with VPA during the twelfth embryonic day. Seizures were induced in fourteen-days-old rat pups using two models of convulsions: pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and lithium-pilocarpine (Li-Pilo).Results: Two subgroups with different PTZ-induced seizure susceptibility in rats exposed to VPA were found: a high susceptibility (VPA+) (28/42, seizure severity 5) and a low susceptibility (VPA−) (14/42, seizure severity 2). The VPA+ subgroup exhibited an increased duration of the generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS; 45 ± 2.7 min), a higher number of rats showed several GTCS (14/28) and developed status epilepticus (SE) after PTZ injection (19/27) compared with control animals (36.6 ± 1.9 min; 10/39; 15/39, respectively). No differences in seizure severity, latency or duration of SE induced by Li-Pilo were detected between VPA and control animals.Discussion: Prenatal VPA modifies the susceptibility to PTZ-induced seizures in developing rats, which may be linked to an alteration in the GABAergic transmission. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the comorbidity between autism and epilepsy.

Introducción: Las altas exigencias que presenta la carrera de medicina, aunado a las obligaciones laborales y personales de los estudiantes, los predispone a desarrollar ansiedad y síndrome de Burnout (SB), lo cual puede influir en su rendimiento académico. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la prevalencia y la sintomatología de ansiedad y Burnout, así como identificar su impacto en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes al término de la licenciatura en médico cirujano. Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal, observacional en estudiantes de medicina al término de la carrera, se utilizó el inventario de Ansiedad Rasgo y Estado, la escala Maslach Burnout y el promedio de las calificaciones a través de la Secretaria Académica. Resultados; Se observó una prevalencia de ansiedad estado (AE) y rasgo (AR) de 40.6% y 31.2% respectivamente, ambas con proporciones similares entre nivel medio (75%) y alto (25%), y con asociación entre las mismas. La prevalencia del SB fue de 15.6%, de los cuales 17.2 y 23.4% presentaron niveles altos de cansancio y de despersonalización respectivamente, además 18.8% mostró niveles bajos de realización personal. Conclusión: Al término de la licenciatura los estudiantes muestran sintomatología de AR y AE con alta asociación entre ambas, por lo que es importante resaltar que la ansiedad transitoria puede llegar a integrar una respuesta ansiosa como rasgo de su personalidad. La prevalencia de SB fue baja y sin relación con el rendimiento académico, la edad o el sexo.

The contribution of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) to neuronal injury induced by status epilepticus (SE) in the immature brain remains unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the hippocampal expression of IL-1β and its type 1 receptor (IL-1RI) following SE induced by the lithium-pilocarpine model in fourteen-days-old rat pups; control animals were given an equal volume of saline instead of the convulsant. IL-1β and IL-1RI mRNA hippocampal levels were assessed by qRT-PCR 6 and 24 h after SE or control conditions. IL-1β and IL-1RI expression was detected in the dorsal hippocampus by immunohistochemical procedures; Fluoro-Jade B staining was carried out in parallel sections in order to detect neuronal cell death. IL-1β mRNA expression was increased 6 h following SE, but not at 24 h; however IL-1RI mRNA expression was unaffected when comparing with the control group. IL-1β and IL-1RI immunoreactivity was not detected in control animals. IL-1β and IL-1RI were expressed in the CA1 pyramidal layer, the dentate gyrus granular layer and the hilus 6 h after SE, whereas injured cells were detected 24 h following seizures. Early expression of IL-1β and IL-1RI in the hippocampus could be associated with SE-induced neuronal cell death mechanisms in the developing rat.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 40% of medical students in Mexico experience academic burnout syndrome (ABS), highlighting the lack of institutional strategies to prevent or mitigate this phenomenon, leaving students vulnerable. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a yoga-based intervention (YBI) in medical students with ABS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was designed for medical students whose burnout levels were assessed using the MBI-SS. Subsequently, those students with ABS participated in an YBI for six weeks, with a weekly session of 60 minutes, incorporating postures, body movements, and guided breathing to induce a meditative state and deep relaxation. At the end of the intervention, burnout levels were reassessed. Qualitative variables were analyzed as frequencies and percentages, while quantitative variables were analyzed as means and standard errors of the mean. Paired samples t test was used to compare all dimensions of ABS scores before and after YBI, with P ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. All data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The prevalence of ABS was found to be 10.6%. After YBI, 87.5% of students showed changes in scores across all dimensions of ABS, emotional exhaustion decreased from 20.13 ± 0.9 to 12.38 ± 1.9 (P = 0.002), depersonalization decreased from 9.0 ± 0.7 to 5.8 ± 1.0 (P = 0.025), and academic efficacy increased from 16.7 ± 0.9 to 23.8 ± 2.1 (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: YBI was effective in reducing ABS scores in medical students, consistent with public health goals. Further studies are needed, and consideration should be given to incorporating wellness programs as an integral part of medical education to address mental health issues are recommended.