AofA Science Summary: Psychoactive pharmaceuticals induce fish gene expression profiles associated with human idiopathic autism.

PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e32917. Epub 2012 Jun 6.

Psychoactive pharmaceuticals induce fish gene expression profiles associated with human idiopathic autism.

Thomas MA, Klaper RD.

Source

Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University School, Pocatello, Idaho, United States of America.

Abstract

Idiopathic autism, caused by genetic susceptibility interacting with unknown environmental triggers, has increased dramatically in the past 25 years. Identifying environmental triggers has been difficult due to poorly understood pathophysiology and subjective definitions of autism. The use of antidepressants by pregnant women has been associated with autism. These and other unmetabolized psychoactive pharmaceuticals (UPPs) have also been found in drinking water from surface sources, providing another possible exposure route and raising questions about human health consequences. Here, we examined gene expression patterns of fathead minnows treated with a mixture of three psychoactive pharmaceuticals (fluoxetine, venlafaxine & carbamazepine) in dosages intended to be similar to the highest observed conservative estimates of environmental concentrations. We conducted microarray experiments examining brain tissue of fish exposed to individual pharmaceuticals and a mixture of all three. We used gene-class analysis to test for enrichment of gene sets involved with ten human neurological disorders. Only sets associated with idiopathic autism were unambiguously enriched. We found that UPPs induce autism-like gene expression patterns in fish. Our findings suggest a new potential trigger for idiopathic autism in genetically susceptible individuals involving an overlooked source of environmental contamination.

Comments

[barbaraj]

why? when? where? what's the truth? ha..will never really know!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/21/us-merck-fda-vaccine-idUSBRE85K1BD20120621

[barbaraj]

I agree Kapoore, yet, not all children are autistic, leaving the possibility of genetic vulnerability caused by mom's or baby's exposure to "something". This vulnerability seems to be "a possible" weakness in detoxifying metals, low glutathione and a potpourri of other similar kinds of things..low mg, low zinc.. leading to acquired toxic levels of mercury and aluminum disrupting the immune system , followed by vaccines that have in recent years carried more of the viral (the porcine incident) contaminant than the labeled active ingredient. Named and unnamed, discovered and yet to be discovered retro viruses, bacterial contaminants, cereus baccilus ( recalled hib),along with high percentages of storage problems, out of date and on the shelf issues, and the simple" to shake or not to shake" giving thimerosal at unknown levels to some, likely are huge players in this.
The vulnerability may be built into the shot, a cause of the glutathione and other issues, it may just be the number of dangerous shots on the market ,given the huge numbers given, range to be about 3% and we are playing roulette.

[Benedetta]

Kapore; Right ON~!

[Kapoore]

I'm all for clean water and clean air, and I'm so glad that maybe the autism crisis might be able to stimulate scientists to come up with a way to get toxins out of our water system. Still, I know that the human environment has been loaded down with toxins since the inception of the industrial revolution. Why wasn't autism at epidemic levels when coal dust was so thick they turned the street lights on during the day? No, I'm afraid it is the flushing of aluminum, viruses, nano-baterial, detergents, and the whole toxic brew of vaccines into the blood streams of children that we need to worry about.

[barbaraj]

this wasn't the flathead offspring of exposed parents? sorry error on pasting..

[barbaraj]

Is this study showing a gene mutation causing autism like structures in the exposed, not the de nova type that affects the next generation? Suggesting a live organism can on exposure suffer genetic damage resulting in autism? This wasn't flathead offspring of exposed the exposed parent?