17-β estradiol increases parvalbumin levels in Pvalb heterozygous mice and attenuates behavioral phenotypes with relevance to autism core symptoms.
Federica Filice, Emanuel Lauber, Karl Jakob Vörckel and 2 others
PMID 29507711WHAT IT FOUND
In male mice with low parvalbumin, early estradiol increased parvalbumin and reduced repetitive digging, but it made normal mice less social and more repetitive.
This is animal data, not evidence for human autism treatment.
Key findings
01Estradiol given to pups raised parvalbumin protein and mRNA in PV+/− mice, but not in PV+/+ mice.
02In PV+/− mice, estradiol increased preference for a novel mouse in the three-chamber test and reduced marble burying.
03Estradiol worsened social interaction and increased repetitive behavior in PV+/+ mice, and did not improve PV−/− mice.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
This was a mouse study, not a trial in people. Only male mice were tested. Estradiol was given to pups from postnatal day 5 to 15. In normal mice, estradiol made social interaction and repetitive behavior worse. Some behavioral differences were not statistically significant or were described as tendencies. The paper does not state the total number of mice analysed. The authors state that extensive daily handling may have masked effects on ultrasonic vocalizations.
Declared interests
The paper names Schweizerischer Nationalfonds as funder and lists non-U.S. government research support. The supplied text does not give author conflict-of-interest details.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that estradiol is a treatment for autism. The benefit was seen only in male mice with reduced parvalbumin, and estradiol made normal mice less social and more repetitive.