title: Activation of Sigma-1 Receptor Alleviates Postpartum Estrogen Withdrawal-Induced "Depression" Through Restoring Hippocampal nNOS-NO-CREB Activities in Mice.
abstract: Postpartum depression affects approximately 15 % of mothers; however, its pathological mechanisms still remain unclear. Ovariectomized adult mice received the administration of estrogen (E2) and progesterone with a subsequent alone E2, termed hormone-simulated pregnancy (HSP). Affective behaviors as assessed by forced swim and tail suspension tests, hippocampal neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), nitric oxide (NO), cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation (phosphor-CREB), and neurosteroidogenesis were examined before E2 withdrawal (EW; HSP mice) and on days 2-4 (early-EW mice) and days 8-10 (late-EW mice) after EW. Depressive-like behaviors were observed in early-EW mice but not in late-EW mice. Levels of nNOS, NO, and phosphor-CREB were increased in HSP mice followed by a significant decline in early-EW mice with a subsequent restoration in late-EW mice. The treatment of early-EW mice with NO donor alleviated depressive-like behaviors and decline of phosphor-CREB. The nNOS inhibitor and NO scavenger caused depressive-like behaviors and reduced phosphor-CREB in HSP mice and late-EW mice. Notably, the levels of steroidogenic enzymes StAR and P450scc were elevated in late-EW mice. The sigma-1 receptor (σ1R) agonist could alleviate depressive-like behaviors and decline of nNOS-NO-CREB in early-EW mice. The pharmacological blockade or deficiency of σ1R in late-EW mice caused depressive-like behaviors with decline of nNOS-NO-CREB. The reduction of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor NR2B phosphorylation in early-EW mice could recover in late-EW mice, which was sensitive to the blockade of σ1R. The NMDA receptor agonist, but not TrkB receptor activator, could correct the decline of nNOS-NO-CREB in early-EW mice. The findings indicate that the activation of σ1R can alleviate postpartum "depression" through increasing nNOS-NO-CREB activities.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
authors.forename: Suyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.|Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.|Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. wujiemd@126.com.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. wujiemd@126.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. lingchen@njmu.edu.cn.|Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China. lingchen@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D017480:Receptors, sigma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000097605:Sigma-1 Receptor
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004967:Estrogens; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017480:Receptors, sigma; D013256:Steroids; D000097605:Sigma-1 Receptor
keywords: Estrogen (E2) withdrawal; Hormone-simulated pregnancy (HSP); Nitric oxide (NO); Postpartum depression (PPD); Sigma-1 receptor (σ1R)