neuropeptide-y and Depression--Postpartum

To determine associations between postpartum depression (PPD) and plasma neurotransmitters.
 Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested to a prospective cohort established in 3 comprehensive tertiary hospitals in Changsha, Hunan, China from February to September 2007. The Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used at 2 weeks postpartum to screen PPD, with a score of 13 or higher as the cut-off for PPD. The women with matched age but without PPD and delivery within 5 years were selected as controls. The levels of plasma monoamine neurotransmitters including serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE), and peptide neurotransmitters including neuropeptide Y (NPY) and substance P (SP) in maternal blood samples taken at 2 weeks postpartum were measured and compared between PPD women (n=42) and controls (n=42).
 Results: Plasma levels of 5-HT and NPY were significantly lower while plasma levels of NE and SP were significantly higher in PPD women than those in the controls. For women with PPD, a negative correlation between NPY and NE (r=-0.36, P﹤0.05) was observed.
 Conclusion: There are changes in plasma levels of neurotransmitters in women with PPD, and there are potential interactions between different neurotransmitters.. 目的：探讨血浆神经递质与产后抑郁症(postpartum depression，PPD)的关联。方法：于2007年2至9月在湖南长沙3家三甲医院开展一项前瞻性巢式病例对照研究。运用爱丁堡产后抑郁量表(Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale，EPDS)中文版对产后2周产妇进行PPD筛查，得分≥13分者确定为PPD患者(n=42)。每个PPD患者按1:1抽取正常产妇为对照组(n=42)，两组按照分娩医院(同一医院)与年龄(±5岁)进行匹配。在产后2周抽取血液样本，比较PPD组和对照组产妇的血浆单胺类递质及肽类神经递质水平，其中血浆单胺类递质包括5-羟色胺(5-hydroxytryptamine，5-HT)、多巴胺(dopamine，DA)、去甲肾上腺素(norepinephrine，NE)，肽类神经递质包括神经肽Y(neuropeptide Y，NPY)和P物质(substance P，SP)。结果：PPD组5-HT和NPY血浆水平明显低于对照组，而NE和SP血浆水平明显高于对照组(均P<0.05)。PPD组NPY和NE血浆水平之间呈负相关(r=–0.36，P<0.05)。结论：PPD产妇存在多种神经递质水平的改变，不同神经递质之间具有潜在相互作用。.

Topics: Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; China; Depression, Postpartum; Dopamine; Female; Humans; Neuropeptide Y; Norepinephrine; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Serotonin; Substance P

While the effects of maternal separation on pups are well studied, the impact on dams has attracted little attention. The consumption of palatable food is known to dampen stress responses in animals, and emotions influence food choice in humans. Here we examined the early- and long-term impacts of maternal separation on behavioral profile of the dams, and the effects of palatable cafeteria high-fat diet (HFD). After littering, Sprague-Dawley female rats were subjected to prolonged separation, S180 (180 min) or brief separation, S15 (15 min/day) from postnatal days (PND) 2-14. At 4 weeks postpartum, half the dams were assigned to HFD. Anxiety and depression-like behaviors were assessed pre- and post-diet. Compared to S15 dams, S180 dams consuming chow demonstrated increased anxiety and depression-like behaviors assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swim (FST) tests, respectively. These behavioral deficits were observed at 4 weeks, and persisted until 17 weeks postpartum. The S180 dams also had increased plasma corticosterone concentration compared to S15 dams, which coincided with increased hypothalamic CRH mRNA and reduced hippocampal GR mRNA expression, suggesting possible dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. Interestingly, continuous provision of HFD improved the behavioral deficits observed in S180 dams with significant reduction of hypothalamic CRH mRNA expression. These data are the first to describe long-term detrimental behavioral impacts of separation in dams, suggesting this may provide a model of postpartum depression. Moreover, they support the notion of long-term beneficial effects of 'comfort food' on stress responses.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Age Factors; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Anxiety; Body Weight; Brain; Corticosterone; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Depression, Postpartum; Dietary Fats; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Food Preferences; Male; Maternal Deprivation; Maze Learning; Neuropeptide Y; Peptide Fragments; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA, Messenger; Sucrose; Sweetening Agents; Swimming