Amygdala transcriptome in rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid

The amygdala controls socioemotional behavior and has consistently been implicated in the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Precocious amygdala development is commonly reported in ASD youth with the degree of overgrowth positively correlated to the severity of ASD symptoms. However, surprisingly little is known about the cellular, molecular, or genetic changes that occur in the amygdala over development in ASD individuals or rodent models. We examined abnormalities in gene expression in the amygdala and socioemotional behavior across development in the valproic acid (VPA) rat model of ASD. Examination of unilateral amygdala micropunches from P10 and P21 male rats prenatally exposed to either saline or valproic acid.