Scheduled feeding improves behavioral outcomes and reduces inflammation in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome

Abstract

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a leading inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism, is frequently accompanied by sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances. In this study, we comprehensively characterized these disruptions and evaluated the therapeutic potential of a circadian-based intervention in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) knockout (KO) mouse. The Fmr1 KO mice exhibited fragmented sleep, impaired locomotor rhythmicity, and attenuated behavioral responses to light, linked to an abnormal retinal innervation and reduction of light-evoked neuronal activation in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Behavioral testing revealed significant deficits in social memory and increased repetitive behaviors in the mutants, which correlated with sleep fragmentation. Remarkably, a scheduled feeding paradigm (6-hour feeding/18-hour fasting) significantly enhanced circadian rhythmicity, consolidated sleep, and improved social deficits and repetitive behaviors in the Fmr1 KO mice. This intervention also normalized the elevated levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-12 and IFN-γ, in the mutants' blood, suggesting that its benefits extend to inflammatory pathways. These findings highlight the interplay between circadian disruption, behavior, and an inflammatory response in FXS, and provide compelling evidence that time-restricted feeding may serve as a promising non-pharmacological approach for improving core symptoms in neurodevelopmental disorders.