Abstract

Cui Yingmin

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental diseases. It affects more than 10 million children in China, and the incidence of ASD remains increased. The existed drug treatments and behavior-guided treatments cannot improve it well. Autistic patients have stereotyped behaviors and significant barriers in social communication and interaction. Much attention has been paid to the research in probiotics and mental diseases because the discovery of microbiota-gut-brain axis. Many patients with ASD have symptoms of gastrointestinal flora disorders, therefore change of intestinal microbes may aid in treatment of autism. It is known that Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 can improve the locomotor status and cognition; it relieves anxiety and promotes social activities of animals. Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 has been used as food supplements, previous studies indicated that it can be a benefit for ASD patients and their families. This article is designed to explore the physiological effects of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 on ASD using animal experiments. The article mainly includes 1. Establish the feeding method of PS128 to the Fmr1 mice; 2. Behavioral studies in the mice with constantly feeding of PS128 3. Studies in changes of neurotransmitter in different brain regions of mice; 4. Explore changes in macromolecules in target brain regions 5. Summarize possible mechanisms of PS128 on brain functions