Shokouh Rahmatipoor,1Zahra Rezvani,2,*
1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan , Kashan , Iran 2. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Kashan , Kashan,Iran
Introduction: Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a neurotransmitter that is synthesized by a group of central nervous system neurons and intestinal enterochromaffin cells. Serotonin, which is a type of monoamine neurotransmitter, is activated by vitamin D and is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. It is one of the 22 main amino acids of living cells and one of the essential amino acids in the human diet, the indicator of which is the presence of aromatic rings in its structure.
Methods: During the last ten years, a lot of research has been done in this regard. The results of some of them indicate that We describe a mechanism by which the vitamin D hormone activates TPH2 and represses TPH1 expression, thereby inversely controlling serotonin production in the brain relative to tissues outside the blood-brain barrier. Future studies will directly test vitamin D-mediated regulation of these 2 tryptophan hydroxylase genes.
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), a neurotransmitter and brain morphogen, has been proposed to play a central role in autism based on physiological evidence, genetic polymorphisms, and animal models. Disruption of the serotonergic system is one of the most consistent observations associated with autism. Serotonin in the brain promotes social behavior and the correct evaluation of social-emotional cues. The brains of people with autism show a significantly lower concentration of serotonin compared to the brains of non-autistic people. Low serotonin during early brain development in mice can lead to neuroanatomical defects such as fewer dendritic spines, abnormal dendritic arbors and somatosensory barrels, and reduced synaptic density. In addition, the reduction of serotonin in neonatal mice causes abnormal growth of the cerebral cortex and behavioral features that resemble autism. Such neurodevelopmental defects have been observed in people with autism, which suggests that insufficient concentration of serotonin in the brain prevents normal brain development.
Results: Serotonin deficiency and problems are very important and doctors should be well aware of possible drug interactions. In addition to its well-known effects on emotions, sleep and appetite, serotonin helps with the movement of the digestive system, peripheral and cerebral vessels, and platelet aggregation, but in this text, we discussed the effect of serotonin on autism and the conditions that happen to the body. We found that the use of vitamin D and tryptophan supplements in the diet is a practical and low-cost way to help prevent and cure autism.
Conclusion: It has been shown in studies that diet intervention with vitamin D, tryptophan and omega-3 fatty acid; Strengthens the concentration of serotonin in the brain and helps to prevent and possibly eliminate some of the symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Regulation of TPH1 and TPH2 may also be an important clue in understanding the inverse relationship between serotonin concentrations in the blood compared to the brain in children with autism.
The growth peak in serotonin synthesis in the brain occurs before puberty and is thought to be involved in the growth and differentiation of neurons throughout the brain, this peak does not occur in children with autism. On the other hand, a high concentration of serotonin in the blood has been observed in 25-50% of children with autism. An inverse correlation between high blood serotonin concentrations and low serotonergic neurotransmission has been demonstrated in young adult males with autism, a phenomenon we refer to as serotonin dysregulation.