Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by two core behavioral characteristics, namely, restricted repetitive behaviors and impaired social-communicative functioning. BTBR T⁺ltpr3^tf/J (BTBR) mice provide a valuable animal model for ASD to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these two behavioral characteristics of ASD. This study examined the social function of excessive grooming behavior in BTBR mice as a phenotype of restricted repetitive behaviors. Compared to the control C57BL/6 J (B6) strain, BTBR mice showed increased self-grooming when placed alone in a test apparatus, and this behavior was even more evident when confronted with a stimulus mouse (either B6 or BTBR) in a three-chamber test apparatus. While B6 mice tended to groom their face/snout region on the empty side of the chamber, BTBR mice showed excessive grooming with frequent transitions among grooming body regions on the side of the chamber containing a social stimulus. Acute systemic injection of buspirone,a serotonin 1A receptor agonist, as an anxiolytic, facilitated approach behavior toward social stimuli in the three-chamber setting in both B6 and BTBR mice. However, this treatment did not affect grooming behavior in B6 mice and significantly enhanced self-grooming in BTBR mice. These behaviors in BTBR mice suggest a potential signaling function of grooming in response to social stimuli, in which bodywide grooming of BTBR mice expressed in the proximity of social opponents may stimulate the release of olfactory (possibly dismissive) signals. Consequently, the putative neural mechanisms underlying excessive grooming may differ from those regulating social approaches that are associated with anxiolytic mechanisms.

自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）由两个核心行为特征定义，即重复行为受限和社交功能受损。BTBR T ⁺ ltpr3 ^tf/ J（BTBR）小鼠为ASD提供了有价值的动物模型，以阐明ASD的这两种行为特征的潜在机制。这项研究检查了BTBR小鼠过度修饰行为的社会功能，作为限制性重复行为的表型。与对照C57BL / 6 J（B6）菌株相比，BTBR小鼠单独放置在测试设备中时表现出增加的自我修饰能力，当在三只老鼠中遇到刺激性小鼠（B6或BTBR）时，这种行为更加明显-腔室测试仪器。虽然B6小鼠倾向于修饰腔室空侧的脸部/鼻子区域，但BTBR小鼠表现出过度修饰，并且在包含社交刺激的腔室一侧的修饰身体区域之间频繁转换。急性全身注射丁螺环酮，一种5-羟色胺1A受体激动剂，作为抗焦虑药，在B6和BTBR小鼠的三腔室环境中促进了针对社交刺激的进近行为。但是，这种处理不会影响B6小鼠的修饰行为，并且不会显着增强BTBR小鼠的自我修饰能力。BTBR小鼠中的这些行为暗示了对社交刺激做出潜在修饰的信号传导功能，其中在社交对手附近表达的BTBR小鼠的全身修饰可能会刺激嗅觉信号（可能是令人反感的）的释放。因此，潜在的过度修饰背后的推定神经机制可能不同于调节与抗焦虑机制相关的社会方法的神经机制。这种处理不会影响B6小鼠的修饰行为，并且会显着增强BTBR小鼠的自我修饰能力。BTBR小鼠中的这些行为暗示了对社交刺激的潜在修饰信号功能，其中在社交对手附近表达的BTBR小鼠的全身修饰可能会刺激嗅觉信号（可能是解散信号）的释放。因此，潜在的过度修饰背后的推定神经机制可能不同于调节与抗焦虑机制相关的社会方法的神经机制。这种处理不会影响B6小鼠的修饰行为，并且会显着增强BTBR小鼠的自我修饰能力。BTBR小鼠中的这些行为暗示了对社交刺激做出潜在修饰的信号传导功能，其中在社交对手附近表达的BTBR小鼠的全身修饰可能会刺激嗅觉信号（可能是令人反感的）的释放。因此，潜在的过度修饰背后的推定神经机制可能不同于调节与抗焦虑机制相关的社会方法的神经机制。其中在社交对手附近表达的BTBR小鼠的全身修饰可能会刺激嗅觉信号（可能是令人反感的信号）的释放。因此，潜在的过度修饰背后的推定神经机制可能不同于调节与抗焦虑机制相关的社会方法的神经机制。其中在社交对手附近表达的BTBR小鼠的全身修饰可能会刺激嗅觉信号（可能是令人反感的信号）的释放。因此，潜在的过度修饰背后的推定神经机制可能不同于调节与抗焦虑机制相关的社会方法的神经机制。