"High doses of individual nutrient supplements such as zinc, branched-chain amino acids, and serine can improve synaptic function through different mechanisms, but low doses of any single nutrient alone are ineffective,” said first author of the study, Tzyy-Nan Huang of the Institute of Molecular Biology at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, in a press release.
“It is exciting to see that combining these nutrients at low doses successfully restores synaptic proteomes and enhances social behaviors in three different mouse models of autism,” she added.
For the study, researchers administered a low-dose mix of zinc, serine, and branched-chain amino acids to three mouse models of autism over seven days. Combined supplementation, they found, changed synaptic protein expression in autistic mice to more closely resemble that of typical mice while reducing abnormal neuronal overactivity in the amygdala.
The mixture also improved social behaviors among the mice. Individually at the same doses, however, the same supplements did not confer the same benefits. The findings, noted the researchers in their study, indicate that the nutrients work in a synergistic manner, and point towards a ‘new avenue’ for dietary therapy for treating autism.
“As hundreds of genes are implicated in autism, each with distinct molecular functions, a 'one gene-one therapy' approach is impractical for addressing the complexity of ASD,” said study author, Yi-Ping Hsueh, also of the Institute of Molecular Biology at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, in a press release.
“Our findings show that a low-dose nutrient mixture containing zinc, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and serine - working synergistically to improve synaptic function and social behaviors across three ASD mouse models - offers a safer and more practical strategy for long-term, broad application, even beginning in childhood,” she said.
Sources: Science Daily, PLOS Biology
