Therapeutic effect of finasteride through its antiandrogenic and antioxidant role in a propionic acid-induced autism model: Demonstrated by behavioral tests, histological findings and MR spectroscopy

•Finasteride led significant improvement in autism-like behavioral parameters.•Finasteride showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect through Nrf2 modulation.•MR spectroscopy revealed protective effect of finasteride on energy metabolism.•Finasteride showed neuroprotective effect on Purkinje cells and Pyramidal neurons.•Finasteride reduced glial activity in the cerebellum and hippocampus. Autism is a clinically defined neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown origin characterized by significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Although it can be a lifelong condition, treatments can help alleviate symptoms and enhance a patient's quality of life. We aimed to assess the therapeutic potential of finasteride in autism with biochemical markers, histopathological evaluation, behavioral tests and radiological imaging. Propionic acid (PPA) was injected intraperitoneally into 20 out of 30 rats for 5 days to establish an autism model. Rats were randomly assigned into four groups: control group (no procedure was applied, n = 10), placebo group (intraperitoneal PPA + 1 ml/kg/day % 0.9 NaCl saline was given via oral gavage for 15 days, n = 10) and treated group (intraperitoneal PPA + 5 mg/kg/day of finasteride was given via oral gavage for 15 days, n = 10). After 4 days of behavioral tests, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed for measuring creatine and lactate levels. All animals were sacrificed for histopathological examination and biochemical analysis of brain tissue. MDA, NFκB, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-17A and lactate levels in brain homogenates were significantly increased in the placebo group compared to the control group, while Nfr2 levels were decreased; and the levels of all biochemical markers were reversed by finasteride treatment. A significant improvement was observed in autism-like behaviors in rats treated with finasteride compared to the placebo group. Further, the creatine and lactate levels in corpus striatum in MRS, the neuronal counts and glial activity of the hippocampus and cerebellum were closer to the control group in the finasteride-treated group compared to the placebo group. Finasteride led significant improvement in autism-like symptoms with its antioxidant effect through Nrf2 modulation in addition to its anti androgen effect.