Maternal separation: Does it hold the potential to model consequences of postpartum depression?
Annakarina MundorfIbrahim BölükbasNadja FreundPublished in: Developmental psychobiology (2022)
The postpartum period is a sensitive time where women are especially vulnerable to develop postpartum depression (PPD), with 10%-15% of women affected. This review investigates whether the maternal separation (MS) paradigm in rodents holds the potential to help to understand mothers suffering from PPD. MS is a well-established stress model to investigate effects on infants, whereas effects on the dam are often overlooked. The database PubMed was searched for studies investigating effects of daily MS within the first weeks after parturition on dams in rats and mice and compared to findings in PPD mothers. MS was categorized as brief MS (5-45 min) with or without handling of pups and long MS (3-4 h and longer). MS alters maternal care, depressive-like behavior, anxiety, and aggression; leads to alterations in neuronal gene expression; and affects hormone and neurotransmitter levels similar to observations in PPD patients. Even though there are disparities between human and rodent mothers, with some results differing in directionality, as well as the reason for separation (self-induced in PPD, externally induced in MS), the overall effects found on neurobiological, hormonal, and behavioral levels mostly coincide. Thus, the MS paradigm can add relevant knowledge to existing PPD animal models, further advancing the study of PPD.
Keyphrases
- mass spectrometry
- ms ms
- multiple sclerosis
- gene expression
- liquid chromatography
- pregnancy outcomes
- healthcare
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- end stage renal disease
- depressive symptoms
- emergency department
- chronic kidney disease
- physical activity
- palliative care
- birth weight
- newly diagnosed
- pregnant women
- type diabetes
- skeletal muscle
- dna methylation
- oxidative stress
- sleep quality
- prognostic factors
- weight loss
- bipolar disorder
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- peritoneal dialysis
- risk assessment
- high glucose
- stress induced
- chronic pain
- health insurance