Altered nociceptive behavior and emotional contagion of pain in mouse models of autism

• Published in: Genes, brain and behavior Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. e12778 - n/a
• Main Authors: Martin, Loren J., Poulson, Sandra J., Mannan, Emma, Sivaselvachandran, Sivaani, Cho, Moonjeong, Setak, Fatima, Chan, Claire
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2022; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Animal Communication; Animal models; Animals; Autism; Autistic Disorder - genetics; Autistic Disorder - physiopathology; BTBR; Capsaicin; Emotional behavior; emotional contagion; FMR1; FMR1 protein; Formaldehyde; formalin; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein - genetics; Freund's adjuvant; Hypersensitivity; inflammatory; Information processing; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors - genetics; Intellectual disabilities; Male; mechanical sensitivity; Mechanical stimuli; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; mouse; Nociception; Original; Pain; Pain Perception; Rodents; sensory; Sensory integration; Thermal stimuli; mouse; emotional contagion; pain; formalin; sensory; FMR1; inflammatory; mechanical sensitivity; BTBR; autism
• ISSN: 1601-1848; 1601-183X
• DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12778

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have altered sensory processing but may ineffectively communicate their experiences. Here, we used a battery of nociceptive behavioral tests to assess sensory alterations in two commonly used mouse models of ASD, BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR), and fragile‐X mental retardation‐1 knockout (Fmr1‐KO) mice. We also asked whether emotional contagion, a primitive form of empathy, was altered in BTBR and Fmr1 KO mice when experiencing pain with a social partner. BTBR mice demonstrated mixed nociceptive responses with hyporesponsivity to mechanical/thermal stimuli and intraplantar injections of formalin and capsaicin while displaying hypersensitivity on the acetic acid test. Fmr1‐KO mice were hyposensitive to mechanical stimuli and intraplantar injections of capsaicin and formalin. BTBR and Fmr1‐KO mice developed significantly less mechanical allodynia following intraplantar injections of complete Freund's adjuvant, while BTBR mice developed slightly more thermal hyperalgesia. Finally, as measured by the formalin and acetic acid writhing tests, BTBR and Fmr1‐KO mice did not show emotional contagion of pain. In sum, our findings indicate that depending on the sensation, pain responses may be mixed, which reflects findings in ASD individuals. BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mice, an idiopathic model of autism spectrum disorder demonstrate mixed pain responses when tested on a battery of pain tests. Fmr1‐KO mice, a monogenic model of autism spectrum disorder lack overall sensitization when tested on a battery of pain tests. Both mouse strains do not show social pain contagion responses in the presence of another mouse.