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Background/aim: Acetaminophen is frequently used as an analgesic during pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of acetaminophen administered to pregnant mice on the fetal brain, attention, memory, and learning functions in the postnatal period, and genetic mechanisms in these mice.

Valproic acid (VPA), is an antiepileptic drug and it has been known for a long time that exposure to VPA in the fetal period causes many behavioral, cognitive, and structural disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the implementation period of VPA during pregnancy on both behavioral tests and the expression of 45 key genes belonging to the neurotrophin signaling pathway.

Autism is a multifactorial disorder that affects the central nervous system, with an etiology that has not been fully elucidated. Epigenetics refers to the study of changes that can directly affect gene expression without any alterations in DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms can bring about changes in a gene's activity at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subset of small non-coding RNAs, are among the best-characterized epigenetic mechanisms. MiRNAs play critical roles in processes such as development, protein secretion, and gene regulation. Studies in the literature have shown that different diet programs applied to autism patients can lead to changes in the severity of their behaviors. Additionally, diets used in various diseases have been shown to alter the expression levels of related genes. According to information from the literature, it has been found that the expression levels of six miRNAs are low in children with autism and their families. Therefore, valproic acid (VPA) mouse models, which exhibited autism-like behavior (confirmed through behavioral and molecular tests) were used. In the current study, newborn mice were fed diets containing 20%, 30%, and 10% (normal diet) sugar immediately after birth, and behavioral tests were conducted when they reached 2 months of age. The effects on the expression levels of autism-related marker miR-126-3p in the hippocampus, sperm, and blood tissues were examined. The results of our study showed significant differences in the hippocampus tissue of the VPA group compared to the group fed a 20% sugar diet with saline injection in behavioral experiments. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in sperm tissue in the group fed a 30% sugar diet compared to the control group. Our study results indicate that diets applied in autism can potentially alter both behavioral and molecular phenotypes. Additionally, the changes in sperm miRNA expression profiles due to sugar diet suggest that dietary habits may significantly impact subsequent generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]