Aflatoxin B 1 Exposure Aggravates Neurobehavioral Deficits and Immune Dysfunctions of Th1, Th9, Th17, Th22, and T Regulatory Cell-Related Transcription Factor Signaling in the BTBR T + Itpr3 tf /J Mouse Model of Autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by impaired communication, reciprocal social interactions, restricted sociability deficits, and stereotyped behavioral patterns. Environmental factors and genetic susceptibility have been implicated in an increased risk of ASD. Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a typical contaminant of food and feed that causes severe immune dysfunction in humans and animals. Nevertheless, the impact of ASD on behavioral and immunological responses has not been thoroughly examined. To investigate this phenomenon, we subjected BTBR T⁺Itpr3^tf/J (BTBR) mice to AFB₁ and evaluated their marble-burying and self-grooming behaviors and their sociability. The exposure to AFB₁ resulted in a notable escalation in marble-burying and self-grooming activities while concurrently leading to a decline in social contacts. In addition, we investigated the potential molecular mechanisms that underlie the impact of AFB₁ on the production of Th1 (IFN-γ, STAT1, and T-bet), Th9 (IL-9 and IRF4), Th17 (IL-17A, IL-21, RORγT, and STAT3), Th22 (IL-22, AhR, and TNF-α), and T regulatory (Treg) (IL-10, TGF-β1, and FoxP3) cells in the spleen. This was achieved using RT-PCR and Western blot analyses to assess mRNA and protein expression in brain tissue. The exposure to AFB₁ resulted in a significant upregulation of various immune-related factors, including IFN-γ, STAT1, T-bet, IL-9, IRF4, IL-17A, IL-21, RORγ, STAT3, IL-22, AhR, and TNF-α in BTBR mice. Conversely, the production of IL-10, TGF-β1, and FoxP3 by CD4⁺ T cells was observed to be downregulated. Exposure to AFB₁ demonstrated a notable rise in Th1/Th9/Th22/Th17 levels and a decrease in mRNA and protein expression of Treg. The results above underscore the significance of AFB₁ exposure in intensifying neurobehavioral and immunological abnormalities in BTBR mice, hence indicating the necessity for a more comprehensive investigation into the contribution of AFB₁ to the development of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]