Relationship Between Sonic Hedgehog Protein, Brain-DerivedNeurotrophic Factor and Oxidative Stress in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Neurochem Res (2012) 37:394–400
DOI 10.1007/s11064-011-0624-x
Laila Y. Al-Ayadhi
Department of Physiology, Autism Research & Treatment Center (ART Center), AL-Amodi Autism Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is not well known but oxidative stress has been suggested to play a pathological role. We report here that the serum levels of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) might be linked to oxidative stress in ASD. By using the whole blood or polymorphonuclear leukocytes, we demonstrated that autistic children produced a significantly higher level of oxygen free radicals (OFR). In addition, we found significantly higher levels of serum SHH protein in children with mild as well as severe form of autism. We also found that the serum level of BDNF was significantly reduced in autistic children with mild form of the disorder but not with severe form of the disorder. Our findings are the first to report a correlation between SHH, BDNF and OFR in autistic children, suggesting a pathological role of oxidative stress and SHH in autism spectrum disorders.
