RESUMO
Humulus japonicus (HJ) is a traditional herbal medicine that exhibits antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor effects that is used for the treatment of hypertension, pulmonary disease and leprosy. Recently, it has also been reported that HJ demonstrates neuroprotective properties in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. The current study hypothesised that the administration of HJ would exhibit therapeutic effects in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder with lifelong consequences. The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mouse model of ASD was used to investigate the antiautistic like behavioural effects of HJ. Chronic oral administration of the ethanolic extract of HJ significantly increased social interaction, attenuated repetitive grooming behaviour and improved novelobject recognition in BTBR mice. Antiinflammatory effects of HJ in the brain were analysed using immunohistochemistry and reversetranscription quantitative PCR analysis. Microglia activation was markedly decreased in the striatum and hippocampus, and proinflammatory cytokines, including CC Motif Chemokine Ligand 2, interleukin (IL)1ß and IL6, were significantly reduced in the hippocampus following HJ treatment. Moreover, HJ treatment normalised the phosphorylation levels of: NmethylDaspartate receptor subtype 2B and calcium/calmodulindependent protein kinase type II subunit α in the hippocampus of BTBR mice. The results of the present study demonstrated that the administration of HJ may have beneficial potential for ameliorating behavioural deficits and neuroinflammation in ASD.