Table 2.
Use of various therapeutic interventions for the treatment of autism with special emphasis on targeting mitochondrial pathogenetic hotspots involved in disease progression and side effects observed with their chronic use.
| Therapeutic Intervention | Biological Role | Side Effects | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-enzyme Q10/(Oxidized/ Reduced) Ubiquinone |
Energy generation in the electron transport chain. Potent anti-oxidant usually targets free radicals generated in ETC within mitochondria | Gastro-intestinal disturbances | [122] |
| Ketogenic diet and modified Atkins diet |
Acted on mitochondrial dysfunctional pathways and ameliorated the functioning of mitochondria |
In the initial stage, diet was not well tolerated by the subjects | [41] |
| Niacin | Precursor of Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) | Dermatological allergy | [96, 128] |
| Methylcobalamin (B12) and Reduced folate (B9) |
Promotes methylation/participates in the production of anti-oxidant enzymes |
Excitability and sleep disturbances | [11,192] |
| Riboflavin | Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) | Gastro-intestinal disturbances | [153] |
| Biotin (B7) | Co-factor for various enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates | None | [163] |
| Alpha-lipoic acid | Anti-oxidant/cofactor for various enzymes involved in cellular metabolism |
Neurological disturbances | [137] |
| Leucovorin Calcium | Increases level of folate in nervous tissue | Hyper-excitability | [16] |
| Creatine monohydrate | Precursor of various cellular high-energy molecules | Nephrotoxicity | [164] |
| Thiamine (B1) | Involved in the TCA cycle | None | [159] |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | Cofactor for almost more than 40 enzymes involved in cellular metabolism |
None | [173] |
| Vitamin C and Vitamin E | Decreases lipid peroxidation of biological membranes and helps to keep high reserves of anti-oxidants in cell | Hematological problems and gastrointestinal disturbances |
[138] |
| N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) | Precursor of various targeted anti-oxidant molecules | Gastrointestinal disturbances | [135] |
| acetyl-L-carnitine | Metabolism of long fatty acids/anti-oxidant | Gastrointestinal disturbances | [170] |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | Cofactor for coenzyme A | Gastrointestinal disturbances | [138] |