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Gorman-Sandler E, Wood G, Cloude N, Frambes N, Brennen H, Robertson B, Hollis F. Mitochondrial might: powering the peripartum for risk and resilience. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1286811. [PMID: 38187925 PMCID: PMC10767224 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1286811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The peripartum period, characterized by dynamic hormonal shifts and physiological adaptations, has been recognized as a potentially vulnerable period for the development of mood disorders such as postpartum depression (PPD). Stress is a well-established risk factor for developing PPD and is known to modulate mitochondrial function. While primarily known for their role in energy production, mitochondria also influence processes such as stress regulation, steroid hormone synthesis, glucocorticoid response, GABA metabolism, and immune modulation - all of which are crucial for healthy pregnancy and relevant to PPD pathology. While mitochondrial function has been implicated in other psychiatric illnesses, its role in peripartum stress and mental health remains largely unexplored, especially in relation to the brain. In this review, we first provide an overview of mitochondrial involvement in processes implicated in peripartum mood disorders, underscoring their potential role in mediating pathology. We then discuss clinical and preclinical studies of mitochondria in the context of peripartum stress and mental health, emphasizing the need for better understanding of this relationship. Finally, we propose mitochondria as biological mediators of resilience to peripartum mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Gorman-Sandler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Columbia VA Healthcare System, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Gabrielle Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Nazharee Cloude
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Noelle Frambes
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Hannah Brennen
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Breanna Robertson
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Fiona Hollis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Columbia VA Healthcare System, Columbia, SC, United States
- USC Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research, Columbia, SC, United States
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Allopregnanolone-based treatments for postpartum depression: Why/how do they work? Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100198. [PMID: 31709278 PMCID: PMC6838978 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent FDA approval of an allopregnanolone-based treatment specifically for postpartum depression, brexanolone, now commercially called Zulresso®, is an exciting development for patients and families impacted by postpartum depression and allows us to start asking questions about why and how this compound is so effective. Allopregnanolone is a neuroactive steroid, or neurosteroid, which can be synthesized from steroid hormone precursors, such as progesterone, or synthesized de novo from cholesterol. Neurosteroids are positive allosteric modulators at GABAA receptors (GABAARs), a property which is thought to mediate the therapeutic effects of these compounds. However, the durability of effect of brexanolone in clinical trials questions the mechanism of action mediating the remarkable antidepressant effects, leading us to ask why and how does this drug work. Asking why this drug is effective may provide insight into the underlying neurobiology of postpartum depression. Exploring how this drug works will potentially elucidate a novel antidepressant mechanism of action and may provide useful information for next generation drug development. In this review, we examine the clinical and preclinical evidence supporting a role for allopregnanolone in the underlying neurobiology of postpartum depression as well as foundational evidence supporting the therapeutic effects of allopregnanolone for treatment of postpartum depression.
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Payne JL, Maguire J. Pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in postpartum depression. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 52:165-180. [PMID: 30552910 PMCID: PMC6370514 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to summarize the diverse proposed pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to postpartum depression, highlighting both clinical and basic science research findings. The risk factors for developing postpartum depression are discussed, which may provide insight into potential neurobiological underpinnings. The evidence supporting a role for neuroendocrine changes, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter alterations, circuit dysfunction, and the involvement of genetics and epigenetics in the pathophysiology of postpartum depression are discussed. This review integrates clinical and preclinical findings and highlights the diversity in the patient population, in which numerous pathophysiological changes may contribute to this disorder. Finally, we attempt to integrate these findings to understand how diverse neurobiological changes may contribute to a common pathological phenotype. This review is meant to serve as a comprehensive resource reviewing the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Payne
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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