Activation of the Oxytocin System in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Improves Stress-Induced Postpartum Depression-Like Behavior in Rats.

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Title: Activation of the Oxytocin System in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Improves Stress-Induced Postpartum Depression-Like Behavior in Rats.
Authors: Jingjing Dang1,2,3, Huihui Kuai3, Siqi Zhou4, Shanshan Guo2, Jingyi Sheng2, Zhiping Wang1,2 zhpsqxt@126.com
Source: Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria. 2025, Vol. 53 Issue 3, p504-515. 12p.
Subjects: PARAVENTRICULAR nucleus, POSTPARTUM depression, GOLGI apparatus, PERINATAL period, TRANSMISSION electron microscopy
Abstract: Background: Oxytocin (OT) is a key molecule that not only acts as a uterine-contracting hormone during delivery but is also a critical maternal hormone that enables the social transmission of maternal behavior. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a series of depression-like symptoms that occur especially in women in the perinatal period and is accompanied by the failure to adapt to motherhood as well as impaired parent-infant bonding. However, the mechanism by which OT regulates PPD is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between OT levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and PPD and to explore the potential mechanism underlying the involvement of the OT system in the regulation of PPD. Methods: We induced perinatal chronic stress in pregnant rats to establish a PPD model. OT levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and PVN were measured throughout the perinatal period. We administered the chemogenetic virus hM3Dq into the PVN, intraperitoneally injected N-oxyclozapine to activate OT-secreting neurons, and observed the effects of OT treatment on behaviors related to PPD. Finally, we investigated the potential mechanism underlying PPD regulation by the OT system via transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence (IF), and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Compared with those in the normal group, CSF oxytocin levels in the postpartum depression group decreased from late pregnancy to lactation (p < 0.001). Chemogenetic activation-induced endogenous OT release in the PVN not only alleviated PPD-like symptoms in rats but also enhanced the intracellular production of OT. Transmission electronmicroscopy revealed an increase in the size of the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, and dense vesicles within OT neurons. IF and qRT-PCR revealed elevated OT levels and increased oxytocin expression within the PVN following chemogenetic activation (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Lower OT levels are strongly associated with the occurrence of PPD. The release of activated OT has been shown to improve PPD-like behaviors in rats and promote intracellular OT synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria is the property of Maria Lopez-Ibor and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Activation of the Oxytocin System in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Improves Stress-Induced Postpartum Depression-Like Behavior in Rats.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Jingjing+Dang%22&quot;&gt;Jingjing Dang&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2,3&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Huihui+Kuai%22&quot;&gt;Huihui Kuai&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;3&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Siqi+Zhou%22&quot;&gt;Siqi Zhou&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;4&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Shanshan+Guo%22&quot;&gt;Shanshan Guo&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Jingyi+Sheng%22&quot;&gt;Jingyi Sheng&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Zhiping+Wang%22&quot;&gt;Zhiping Wang&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2&lt;/relatesTo&gt;&lt;i&gt; zhpsqxt@126.com&lt;/i&gt;
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22PARAVENTRICULAR+nucleus%22&quot;&gt;PARAVENTRICULAR nucleus&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22POSTPARTUM+depression%22&quot;&gt;POSTPARTUM depression&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22GOLGI+apparatus%22&quot;&gt;GOLGI apparatus&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22PERINATAL+period%22&quot;&gt;PERINATAL period&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22TRANSMISSION+electron+microscopy%22&quot;&gt;TRANSMISSION electron microscopy&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Oxytocin (OT) is a key molecule that not only acts as a uterine-contracting hormone during delivery but is also a critical maternal hormone that enables the social transmission of maternal behavior. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a series of depression-like symptoms that occur especially in women in the perinatal period and is accompanied by the failure to adapt to motherhood as well as impaired parent-infant bonding. However, the mechanism by which OT regulates PPD is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between OT levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and PPD and to explore the potential mechanism underlying the involvement of the OT system in the regulation of PPD. Methods: We induced perinatal chronic stress in pregnant rats to establish a PPD model. OT levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and PVN were measured throughout the perinatal period. We administered the chemogenetic virus hM3Dq into the PVN, intraperitoneally injected N-oxyclozapine to activate OT-secreting neurons, and observed the effects of OT treatment on behaviors related to PPD. Finally, we investigated the potential mechanism underlying PPD regulation by the OT system via transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence (IF), and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Compared with those in the normal group, CSF oxytocin levels in the postpartum depression group decreased from late pregnancy to lactation (p &lt; 0.001). Chemogenetic activation-induced endogenous OT release in the PVN not only alleviated PPD-like symptoms in rats but also enhanced the intracellular production of OT. Transmission electronmicroscopy revealed an increase in the size of the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, and dense vesicles within OT neurons. IF and qRT-PCR revealed elevated OT levels and increased oxytocin expression within the PVN following chemogenetic activation (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion: Lower OT levels are strongly associated with the occurrence of PPD. The release of activated OT has been shown to improve PPD-like behaviors in rats and promote intracellular OT synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: &lt;i&gt;Copyright of Actas Espanolas de Psiquiatria is the property of Maria Lopez-Ibor and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder&#39;s express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.&lt;/i&gt; (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.62641/aep.v53i3.1773
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 504
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: PARAVENTRICULAR nucleus
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: POSTPARTUM depression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: GOLGI apparatus
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: PERINATAL period
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      – SubjectFull: TRANSMISSION electron microscopy
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Activation of the Oxytocin System in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Improves Stress-Induced Postpartum Depression-Like Behavior in Rats.
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            NameFull: Jingjing Dang
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: 2025
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              Y: 2025
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