Diuretic may treat autism, study in rodents suggests

While this is a rat model, it offers some biologic evidence for an earlier treatment trial in humans. Interestingly, there are many papers about using diuretics in seizures in infants. JR

Diuretic may treat autism, study in rodents suggests

Drug that affects brain chloride levels staves off symptoms in mice and rats

BY LAURA SANDERS 

2:00PM, FEBRUARY 6, 2014

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Curbing chloride in nerve cells could combat symptoms of autism, a study of rats and mice suggests. The results may explain why a small group of children with autism seemed to improve after taking the common diuretic bumetanide in an earlier study.
The new details of how bumetanide works, published in the Feb. 7 Science, provide important clues about how autism spectrum disorders arise in a developing brain, says Susan Connors, an autism specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston ....
article here

Here is the abstract of the human study....

Transl Psychiatry. Dec 2012; 2(12): e202.

PMCID: PMC3565189
A randomised controlled trial of bumetanide in the treatment of autism in children
E Lemonnier,1,2,* C Degrez,1 M Phelep,1 R Tyzio,3 F Josse,1 M Grandgeorge,1,2 N Hadjikhani,4,5 and Y Ben-Ari3,*

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Abstract
Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated synapses and the oscillations they orchestrate are altered in autism. GABA-acting benzodiazepines exert in some patients with autism paradoxical effects, raising the possibility that like in epilepsies, GABA excites neurons because of elevated intracellular concentrations of chloride. Following a successful pilot study,1 we have now performed a double-blind clinical trial using the diuretic, chloride-importer antagonist bumetanide that reduces intracellular chloride reinforcing GABAergic inhibition. Sixty children with autism or Asperger syndrome (3–11 years old) received for 3 months placebo or bumetanide (1 mg daily), followed by 1-month wash out. Determination of the severity of autism was made with video films at day 0 (D0) and D90 by blind, independent evaluators. Bumetanide reduced significantly the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) (D90−D0; P<0 .004="" a="" above="" accuracy="" activation="" adjikhani="" agent="" al.="" an="" and="" are="" areas="" autism.="" autism="" best="" better="" brain="" bumetanide="" cases="" chronic="" clinical="" companion="" determine="" diagnostic="" effects="" emotional="" et="" facial="" for="" global="" hypokalaemia="" ilcoxon="" impressions="" improved="" in="" increased="" involved="" is="" k="" l="" labelling="" larger="" mean="" mild="" mm="" most="" n="9)" novel="" observation="" occasional="" p-value="0.017)." p="" perception="" placebo="" population="" potassium.="" promising="" removed="" restricted="" s.d.="" s="" schedule="" severe="" side="" significantly="" social="" student="" study="" submitted="" suited="" supplemental="" t-test:="" test:="" that="" the="" therapeutic="" therefore="" this="" to="" treat="" treated="" treatment.="" treatment="" trials="" values="" vs="" warranted="" was="" were="" when="" with="">
Keywords: autism, bumetanide, clinical trial, diuretics, GABA