Characterization and rescue by oxytocin of an atypical thermo-sensory reactivity in neonatal mice lacking the autism-associated gene Magel2.

Abstract

Atypical responses to sensory stimuli are considered as a core aspect and early life marker of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although recent findings performed in mouse ASD genetic models report sensory deficits, these were explored exclusively during juvenile or adult period. Whether sensory dysfunctions might be present at the early life stage and rescued by therapeutic strategy are fairly uninvestigated. Here we identified that neonatal mice lacking the autism-associated gene Magel2 fail to react to cool sensory stimuli, while autonomic thermoregulatory function is active. This neonatal deficit was mimicked in control neonates by chemogenetic inactivation of oxytocin neurons. Importantly, intranasal administration of oxytocin was able to rescue the phenotype and brain Erk signaling impairment in mutants. This preclinical study establishes for the first-time early life impairments in thermosensory integration and shows the therapeutic potential benefits of intranasal oxytocin treatment on neonatal atypical sensory reactivity.