Effect of Kruppel-like factor 4 on PTZ-induced acute seizure mice.

Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a transcription factor that is involved in neuronal regeneration and the development of glutamatergic systems. However, it is unknown whether Klf4 is involved in acute seizure. To investigate the potential role of Klf4 in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure, western blotting, immunofluorescence, behaviour test and electrophysiology were conducted in this study. We found that Klf4 protein and mRNA expression were increased in both the hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) after PTZ-induced seizure in mice. HP-specific knockout (KO) of Klf4 in mice decreased protein expression of Klf4 and the down-stream Klf4 target tumour protein 53 (TP53/P53). These molecular changes are accompanied by increased seizure latency, reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test. Reduced hippocampal protein levels for synaptic proteins, including glutamate receptor 1 (GRIA1/GLUA1) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (DLG4/PSD95), were also observed after Klf4-KO, while increased mRNA levels of complement proteins were observed for complement component 1q subcomponent A (C1qa), complement component 1q subcomponent B (C1qb), complement component 1q subcomponent C (C1qc), complement component 3 (C3), complement component 4A (C4a) and complement component 4B (C4b). Moreover, c-Fos expression induced by PTZ was reduced by hippocampal conditional KO of Klf4. Electrophysiology showed that PTZ-induced action potential frequency was decreased by overexpression of Klf4. In conclusion, these findings suggest that Klf4 plays an important role in regulating PTZ-induced seizures and therefore constitutes a new molecular target that should be explored for the development of antiepileptic drugs.

Proteomic Study of a Parkinson's Disease Model of Undifferentiated SH-SY5Y Cells Induced by a Proteasome Inhibitor.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common nervous system degenerative diseases. However, the etiology of this disease remains elusive. Here, a proteasome inhibitor (PSI)-induced undifferentiated SH-SY5Y PD model was established to analyze protein alterations through proteomic study. METHODS: Cultured undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells were divided into a control group and a group treated with 2.5 µM PSI (PSI-treated group). An methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was applied to detect cell viability. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB), α-synuclein immunofluorescence and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining were applied to evaluate apoptosis and cytoplasmic inclusions, respectively. The protein spots that were significantly changed were separated, analyzed by 2D gel electrophoresis and DIGE De Cyder software, and subsequently identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and database searching. RESULTS: The results of the MTT assay showed that there was a time and dose dependent change in cell viability following incubation with PSI. After 24 h incubation, PSI resulted in early apoptosis, and cytoplasmic inclusions were found in the PSI-treated group through H&E staining and α-synuclein immunofluorescence. Thus, undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells could be used as PD model following PSI-induced inhibition of proteasomal function. In total, 18 proteins were differentially expressed between the groups, 7 of which were up-regulated and 11 of which were down-regulated. Among them, 5 protein spots were identified as being involved in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway-induced PD process. CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial heat shock protein 75 (MTHSP75), phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), laminin binding protein (LBP), tyrosine 3/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein (14-3-3ε) and YWHAZ protein (14-3-3ζ) are involved in mitochondrial dysfunction, serine synthesis, amyloid clearance, apoptosis process and neuroprotection. These findings may provide new clues to deepen our understanding of PD pathogenesis.

Genetic association between SHANK2 polymorphisms and susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as one of early-onset neurodevelopmental disorders, is characterized by the following symptoms, including repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, impairments in social interaction, and dysfunctions in communication. ASD afflicts ∼1.5% of children aged 8 years in America and ∼4.5‰ of children aged 0-6 years in China. Existing studies suggest that SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains protein 2 (SHANK2) is implicated in ASD. However, associations between SNPs in SHANK2 introns and ASD risk have been less investigated. In this study, on the basis of case-control study (226 cases and 239 controls), we selected nine SNPs (rs76717360, rs11236697, rs74336682, rs77950809, rs17428526, rs35459123, rs75357229, rs61887413, and rs77716438) in SHANK2 introns to investigate genetic associations between SHANK2 polymorphisms and susceptibility to ASD using improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR). We identified that the polymorphism of rs76717360 was associated with risk of ASD in Chinese population; the haplotype of rs11236697 C (T) or rs74336682 G (A) increased ASD risk; and haplotypes with ≥ five SNPs containing rs11236697 and rs74336682 were associated with risk of ASD. Our results indicate SHANK2 is a susceptibility gene for ASD in Chinese children. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(8):763-776, 2018.

Ginsenoside Re Prevents Depression-like Behaviors via Inhibition of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Activating BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB Signaling: An In Vivo and In Vitro Study.

Depression is a widespread disease, with high mortality and recurrence rates. Recent studies have shown that elevated cytokine levels are implicated in the molecular mechanisms of depression. Oxidative stress contributes to the stimulation of cytokine production. Growing evidence suggests that ginsenoside Re (Gs-Re) exerts a neuroprotective effect on the hippocampus by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the effect and mechanism of Gs-Re in the treatment of depression remain understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective and antidepressant-like effects of Gs-Re and the possible underlying mechanisms. In this article, the antidepressant-like effect of the Gs-Re was studied both in vitro (H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HT-22 cells) and in vivo (reserpine-induced depressive model mice). Our results indicated that, at the cellular level, Gs-Re effectively enhanced cell survival following H2O2 stimulation, inhibited the mass production of oxidative stress markers (MDA and ROS), and prevented the occurrence of apoptosis. Moreover, Gs-Re significantly reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α and restored the abnormal mitochondrial membrane potential. Subsequently, Gs-Re treatment reversed reserpine-induced neuroinflammation and depressive-like behaviors in vivo and inhibited microglia overactivation. Furthermore, the alterations in the BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB signaling pathway induced by H2O2 or reserpine in HT-22 cells or in the mouse hippocampus were significantly reversed by Gs-Re. K252a blocked the improvement of Gs-Re on depression-like behavior and eliminated the inhibition of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in vivo. This study suggested that Gs-Re produces neuroprotective and depressive effects by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation and activating the BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB pathway.

[Relationship between vitamin D and autism spectrum disorder].

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors has become the subject of intensified research in the last several years. Vitamin D deficiency has recently been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD. Vitamin D has a unique role in brain homeostasis, embryogenesis and neurodevelopment, immunological modulation (including the brain's immune system), antioxidation, antiapoptosis, neural differentiation and gene regulation. Children with ASD had significantly lower serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D than healthy children.Therefore vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood may be an environmental trigger for ASD.

[Effect of infra-low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of infra-low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation in children with spastic cerebral palsy. METHODS: Seventy-five children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into two groups: control (n=33) and treatment groups (n=42). The treatment group accepted infra-low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation besides conventional comprehensive rehabilitation therapy. The control group only accepted conventional comprehensive rehabilitation therapy. Motor functions were assessed by gross motor function measure (GMFM) and fine motor function measure (FMFM) at one and three months after treatment. RESULTS: Improvement in the ability to sit in the treatment was better than in the control group at one month after treatment (P<0.05). Improvement in the ability to sit, crawl and kneel, total score of GMFM, and improvement of joint active ability of limbs, grasping ability and operating ability in the treatment group were better than the control group at three months after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infra-low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation can effectively improve motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Potential active compounds and common mechanisms of Evodia rutaecarpa for Alzheimer's disease comorbid pain by network pharmacology analysis.

Evodia rutaecarpa (Evodia) is a Chinese herbal medicine with analgesic and anti-neurodegenerative properties. However, whether Evodia compounds can be applied for the comorbid pain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, 137 common targets of Evodia between AD and pain were predicted from drug and disease target databases. Subsequently, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, protein function module construction, and bioinformatics analyses were used to analyze the potential relationship among targets, pathways, and diseases. Evodia could simultaneously treat AD comorbid pain through multi-target, multi-component, and multi-pathway mechanisms, and inflammation was an important common phenotype of AD and pain. The relationship between important transcription factors such as RELA, NF-κB1, SP1, STAT3, and JUN on IL-17, TNF, and MAPK signaling pathways might be potential mechanisms of Evodia. Additionally, 10 candidate compounds were predicted, and evodiamine might be the effective active ingredient of Evodia in treating AD or pain. In summary, this study provided a reference for subsequent research and a novel understanding and direction for the clinical use of evodiamine to treat AD patients with comorbid pain.

Jin-Zhen oral liquid for pediatric coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A randomly controlled, open-label, and non-inferiority trial at multiple clinical centers.

Background: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed, especially with the emergence of the Omicron variant, the proportion of infected children and adolescents increased significantly. Some treatment such as Chinese herbal medicine has been administered for COVID-19 as a therapeutic option. Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid is widely used for pediatric acute bronchitis, while the efficacy and safety in the treatment of pediatric COVID-19 are unclear. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled, open-label, multicenter, non-inferiority clinical study involving hospitalized children with mild to moderate COVID-19. Children eligible for enrollment were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid (the treatment group) and Jinhua Qinggan Granules (the positive control group) and received the respective agent for 14 days, followed by a 14-day follow-up after discontinuation of the treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the time to first negative viral testing. The secondary endpoints were the time and rate of major symptoms disappearance, duration of hospitalization, and the proportion of symptoms changed from asymptomatic or mild to moderate or severe/critical illness. In addition, the safety end points of any adverse events were observed. Results: A total of 240 child patients were assigned randomly into the Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid (117 patients) and Jinhua Qinggan Granules (123 patients) groups. There was no significant difference of the baselines in terms of the clinical characteristics and initial symptoms between the two groups. After 14-day administration, the time to first negative viral testing in the Jin-Zhen group (median 6.0 days, 95% CI 5.0-6.0) was significantly shorter compared with the positive control Jinhua Qinggan Granules group (median 7.0 days, 95% CI 7.0-8.0). The time and rate of major clinical symptoms disappearance were comparable to the positive control. The symptom disappearance time of pharyngalgia and hospitalization duration were significantly shortened in the Jin-zhen Oral Liquid group. No participants in either group experienced post-treatment exacerbation to severe or critical illness. No adverse events were observed in the Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid treatment group (0.0%) while 1 patient with adverse events occurred in the positive control Jinhua Qinggan granules group (0.8%). No serious adverse events were observed during the study period in both groups. Conclusion: Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid is safe and effective in the treatment of mild to medium COVID-19 in children. It is non-inferior to Jinhua Qinggan granules in shortening the time to first negative viral testing, the time and rate of major clinical symptoms disappearance, and the hospitalization duration. The results suggest that Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid can be a recommended drug for treatment of pediatric COVID-19 patients.

Epigenetic Mechanism of Early Life Stress-Induced Depression: Focus on the Neurotransmitter Systems.

Depression has an alarmingly high prevalence worldwide. A growing body of evidence indicates that environmental factors significantly affect the neural development and function of the central nervous system and then induce psychiatric disorders. Early life stress (ELS) affects brain development and has been identified as a major cause of depression. It could promote susceptibility to stress in adulthood. Recent studies have found that ELS induces epigenetic changes that subsequently affect transcriptional rates of differentially expressed genes. The epigenetic modifications involved in ELS include histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA. Understanding of these genetic modifications may identify mechanisms that may lead to new interventions for the treatment of depression. Many reports indicate that different types of ELS induce epigenetic modifications of genes involved in the neurotransmitter systems, such as the dopaminergic system, the serotonergic system, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic system, and the glutamatergic system, which further regulate gene expression and ultimately induce depression-like behaviors. In this article, we review the effects of epigenetic modifications on the neurotransmitter systems in depression-like outcomes produced by different types of ELS in recent years, aiming to provide new therapeutic targets for patients who suffer from depression.

Proteomics analysis of methylglyoxal-induced neurotoxic effects in SH-SY5Y cells.

Reactive carbonyl compounds contribute to aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Among these compounds, methylglyoxal (MG) can yield advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are crucial in AD pathogenesis. However, the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of MG neurotoxicity are not completely understood. In the present study, SH-SY5Y cells were treated with MG to induce cell death. 2-D Fluorescence Difference Gel Electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry were employed to determine the changes in protein levels in these cells compared with vehicle-treated cells. Proteomics analysis revealed that 49 proteins were differentially expressed in MG-treated SH-SY5Y cells, of which 16 were upregulated and 33 were downregulated. Among them, eight proteins were identified unambiguously. The significant changes in protein levels of actin, immunoglobulin lambda light chain and protein phosphatase 2 were noteworthy given their functional roles in AD pathogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest that multiple pathways are potentially involved in MG-induced neuron death.

Proteomics analysis of MPP+-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in dopaminergic neurodegeneration. However, the kinds of proteins involved in the response to oxidative stress remain unclear. In the present study, SH-SY5Y cells were treated with neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion (MPP+) to induce apoptotic neuronal injury. 2D-DIGE followed by MALDI-TOF-MS was used to determine the changing protein levels. Proteomics analysis revealed that 22 proteins were differentially altered in MPP(+)-treated SH-SY5Y cells, of which 7 were up-regulated proteins and 15 were down-regulated proteins, respectively. Three protein spots were unambiguously identified as sorcin, annexin V, and ribosomal protein P0. The three proteins showed a significant increase in level, suggesting a role in MPP(+)-induced apoptosis. The functional roles of these three proteins collectively indicate that multiple mechanisms are pertinent in the underlying pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), such as apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, and DNA insults.

Measuring Sharp Waves and Oscillatory Population Activity With the Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicator GCaMP6f.

GCaMP6f is among the most widely used genetically encoded calcium indicators for monitoring neuronal activity. Applications are at both the cellular and population levels. Here, we explore two important and under-explored issues. First, we have tested if GCaMP6f is sensitive enough for the detection of population activity with sparse firing, similar to the sensitivity of the local field potential (LFP). Second, we have tested if GCaMP6f is fast enough for the detection of fast network oscillations critical for the encoding and consolidation of memory. We have focused this study on the activity of the hippocampal network including sharp waves (SWs), carbachol-induced theta oscillations, and interictal-like spikes. We compare simultaneous LFP and optical GCaMP6f fluorescent recordings in Thy1-GCaMP6f mouse hippocampal slices. We observe that SWs produce a clear population GCaMP6f signal above noise with an average magnitude of 0.3% ΔF/F. This population signal is highly correlated with the LFP, albeit with a delay of 40.3 ms (SD 10.8 ms). The population GCaMP6f signal follows the LFP evoked by 20 Hz stimulation with high fidelity, while electrically evoked oscillations up to 40 Hz were detectable with reduced amplitude. GCaMP6f and LFP signals showed a large amplitude discrepancy. The amplitude of GCaMP6f fluorescence increased by a factor of 28.9 (SD 13.5) between spontaneous SWs and carbachol-induced theta bursts, while the LFP amplitude increased by a factor of 2.4 (SD 1.0). Our results suggest that GCaMP6f is a useful tool for applications commonly considered beyond the scope of genetically encoded calcium indicators. In particular, population GCaMP6f signals are sensitive enough for detecting synchronous network events with sparse firing and sub-threshold activity, as well as asynchronous events with only a nominal LFP. In addition, population GCaMP6f signals are fast enough for monitoring theta and beta oscillations (<25 Hz). Faster calcium indicators (e.g., GCaMP7) will further improve the frequency response for the detection of gamma band oscillations. The advantage of population optical over LFP recordings are that they are non-contact and free from stimulation artifacts. These features may be particularly useful for high-throughput recordings and applications sensitive to stimulus artifact, such as monitoring responses during continuous stimulation.

Role of Astrocytes in Post-traumatic Epilepsy.

Traumatic brain injury, a common cause of acquired epilepsy, is typical to find necrotic cell death within the injury core. The dynamic changes in astrocytes surrounding the injury core contribute to epileptic seizures associated with intense neuronal firing. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that activate astrocytes during traumatic brain injury or the effect of functional changes of astrocytes on seizures. In this comprehensive review, we present our cumulated understanding of the complex neurological affection in astrocytes after traumatic brain injury. We approached the problem through describing the changes of cell morphology, neurotransmitters, biochemistry, and cytokines in astrocytes during post-traumatic epilepsy. In addition, we also discussed the relationship between dynamic changes in astrocytes and seizures and the current pharmacologic agents used for treatment. Hopefully, this review will provide a more detailed knowledge from which better therapeutic strategies can be developed to treat post-traumatic epilepsy.

Pacing Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples With Weak Electric Stimulation.

Sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) are spontaneous neuronal population events that occur in the hippocampus during sleep and quiet restfulness, and are thought to play a critical role in the consolidation of episodic memory. SWRs occur at a rate of 30-200 events per minute. Their overall abundance may, however, be reduced with aging and neurodegenerative disease. Here we report that the abundance of SWR within murine hippocampal slices can be increased by paced administration of a weak electrical stimulus, especially when the spontaneously occurring rate is low or compromised. Resultant SWRs have large variations in amplitude and ripple patterns, which are morphologically indistinguishable from those of spontaneous SWRs, despite identical stimulus parameters which presumably activate the same CA3 neurons surrounding the electrode. The stimulus intensity for reliably pacing SWRs is weaker than that required for inducing detectable evoked field potentials in CA1. Moreover, repetitive ~1 Hz stimuli with low intensity can reliably evoke thousands of SWRs without detectable LTD or "habituation." Our results suggest that weak stimuli may facilitate the spontaneous emergence of SWRs without significantly altering their characteristics. Pacing SWRs with weak electric stimuli could potentially be useful for restoring their abundance in the damaged hippocampus.

Association between SHANK3 polymorphisms and susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as one of neurodevelopmental disorders, affects about 1/160 of people worldwide. The etiology and pathogenesis of ASD remain elusive. Synapses are essential components of neurons and basic information transmission unit in the nervous system, adjusting behavior to environmental stimuli and controlling body functions, memories, and emotions. SHANK3 is one of the synapse genes which play important roles in maintaining synaptic structure and function. SHANK3 has been researched as a probably susceptibility gene for ASD. We investigated the association between polymorphisms in SHANK3 and ASD in the Northeast Han Chinese population. A total of 470 subjects (229 cases and 241 controls) were enrolled in our case-control study. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs756638, rs4824116, rs76268556, rs9616915, and rs75767639) in SHANK3 were selected and genotyped. Our study did not identify a significant association of SHANK3 SNPs with ASD in the Northeast Han Chinese population. Future studies need to test more SHANK3 SNPs in large sample to demonstrate the association between SNPs in SHANK3 and ASD.

Super-Anticoagulant Heparin-Mimicking Hydrogel Thin Film Attached Substrate Surfaces to Improve Hemocompatibility.

In this study, heparin-mimicking hydrogel thin films are covalently attached onto poly(ether sulfone) membrane surfaces to improve anticoagulant property. The hydrogel films display honeycomb-like porous structure with well controlled thickness and show long-term stability. After immobilizing the hydrogel films, the membranes show excellent anticoagulant property confirmed by the activated partial thromboplastin time values exceeding 600 s. Meanwhile, the thrombin time values increase from 20 to 61 s as the sodium allysulfonate proportions increase from 0 to 80 mol%. In vitro investigations of protein adsorption and blood-related complement activation also confirm that the membranes exhibit super-anticoagulant property. Furthermore, gentamycin sulfate is loaded into the hydrogel films, and the released drug shows significant inhibition toward E. coli bacteria. It is believed that the surface attached heparin-mimicking hydrogel thin films may show high potential for the applications in various biological fields, such as blood contacting materials and drug loading materials.

Fabrication of metronidazole loaded poly (ε-caprolactone)/zein core/shell nanofiber membranes via coaxial electrospinning for guided tissue regeneration.

To develop a biologically mimetic guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membrane with localized sustained drug release function to prevent infection, coaxial electrospinning technique was conducted to fabricate metronidazole (MNA)-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/zein core/shell nanofibers. The nanofibers displayed a uniform bead-free round morphology as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a core/shell structure as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) characterizations demonstrated that the MNA was well dispersed in the nanofibers matrix. Due to the encapsulation of the hydrophobic zein, the MNA was released in a controlled, sustained manner over 4days, and the released MNA showed high antibacterial activity towards anaerobic bacteria. In addition, the encapsulation of natural zein resulted in enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation, and the loading of MNA did not show any cytotoxicity. Thus, these results demonstrated that the MNA-loaded core/shell nanofibers had the potential to be used as GTR membranes with antibacterial function for extensive biomedical applications.

A versatile approach towards multi-functional surfaces via covalently attaching hydrogel thin layers.

In this study, a robust and straightforward method to covalently attach multi-functional hydrogel thin layers onto substrates was provided. In our strategy, double bonds were firstly introduced onto substrates to provide anchoring points for hydrogel layers, and then hydrogel thin layers were prepared via surface cross-linking copolymerization of the immobilized double bonds with functional monomers. Sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), sodium allysulfonate (SAS), and methyl acryloyloxygen ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC) were selected as functional monomers to form hydrogel layers onto polyether sulfone (PES) membrane surfaces, respectively. The thickness of the formed hydrogel layers could be controlled, and the layers showed excellent long-term stability. The PSBMA hydrogel layer exhibited superior antifouling property demonstrated by undetectable protein adsorption and excellent bacteria resistant property; after attaching PSAS hydrogel layer, the membrane showed incoagulable surface property when contacting with blood confirmed by the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) value exceeding 600s; while, the PMETAC hydrogel thin layer could effectively kill attached bacteria. The proposed method provides a new platform to directly modify material surfaces with desired properties, and thus has great potential to be widely used in designing materials for blood purification, drug delivery, wound dressing, and intelligent biosensors.

The rs251684 Variant of PLA2G4C Is Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Northeast Han Chinese Population.

AIM: To investigate the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the phospholipase A2 group IVC (PLA2G4C) and phospholipase A2 group XIIA (PLA2G12A) polymorphisms in the Northeast Han Chinese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 68 family trios (children diagnosed with ASD and their unaffected parents) were enrolled. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs9226, rs1045376, rs251684, rs2307279, and rs156631) in PLA2G4C and four SNPs (rs6533451, rs2285714, rs2285713, and rs11728699) in PLA2G12A were selected and genotyped. The association between the SNPs and ASD was analyzed using the transmission disequilibrium test. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant association between ASD and the rs251684 variant of PLA2G4C (transmitted/nontransmitted = 36/21, χ2 = 3.947, p = 0.047), but no association between ASD and the other eight SNPs investigated (all p > 0.05). Moreover, we found no preference in the transmission of haplotypes constructed for either PLA2G4C or PLA2G12A. CONCLUSION: The rs251684 polymorphism of PLA2G4C may be associated with ASD risk.