Resveratrol ameliorates prenatal progestin exposure-induced autism-like behavior through ERβ activation.
Weiguo Xie, Xiaohu Ge, Ling Li and 13 others
PMID 30123446WHAT IT FOUND
In rats, prenatal progestin lowered brain ERβ and social interaction, and resveratrol given before or after birth reversed these changes.
This is animal data, not evidence that resveratrol treats autism in people.
Key findings
01In pregnant rats, prenatal exposure to several progestins lowered ERβ expression and social interaction time in offspring; resveratrol given after birth largely reversed these changes.
02When resveratrol was given during pregnancy, it also prevented progestin-induced ERβ suppression and reduced autism-like behavior in offspring.
03Knocking down ERβ in the amygdala reduced resveratrol's reversal of autism-like behavior, so ERβ activation is involved.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was done in rats, not in people with autism. The behavior tests used in rats do not fully represent human autism. Pregnant rats were exposed to progestin and resveratrol throughout pregnancy, which does not match typical human use. The doses used in rats were high compared with what people would receive. The outcomes were mostly brain and molecular changes, not speech, language, motor, or daily function.
Declared interests
The paper is labeled as supported by non-U.S. government research; no conflict of interest statement is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that resveratrol is a treatment for autism in people. The study was done in rats, used high doses, and the behavior tests did not measure human communication or daily function.