Brief Pup Separation in Lactation Confers Stress Resistance with Increased Prolactin and Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Postpartum C57BL/6J Dams.

Publisher: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7613461 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-6903 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 03643190 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neurochem Res Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 1999- : New York, NY : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers
Original Publication: New York, Plenum Press

Prolactin*/blood ; Prolactin*/metabolism ; Mice, Inbred C57BL* ; Hippocampus*/metabolism ; Neurogenesis*/physiology ; Stress, Psychological*/metabolism ; Lactation*/metabolism; Animals ; Female ; Mice ; Postpartum Period ; Anxiety/metabolism ; Maternal Deprivation ; Depression/metabolism ; Receptors, Prolactin/metabolism

Prolactin (PRL) assumes a pivotal role during the postpartum phase, particularly within the hippocampus-a region densely populated with receptors for stress hormones, where stress significantly inhibits adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). The reduction in neurogenesis is implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression. Mothers are at an increased risk of developing depression when exposed to chronic stress. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the potential role of PRL in depression-like behaviors stemming from prolonged postpartum stress, and to explore any underlying mechanisms. Despite pup separation (PS) being a natural postpartum care practice, the impact of various PS methods on lactating dams remains uncertain. Lactating C57BL/6J mice, from postpartum day (PPD) 1 to PPD 21, underwent no PS (NPS), brief PS (15 min per day, PS15), or long PS (180 min per day, PS180), followed by 21 days of chronic restraint stress (CRS). Behavioral tests were conducted, and measurements included serum PRL concentration, PRL-R expression, and AHN in the hippocampus. Dams with CRS exhibited cognitive decline, depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, and reduced PRL secretion, correlating with lower levels of AHN. PS15 dams displayed lower levels of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive decline compared to NPS and PS180 dams. Significantly, PS15 dams exhibited higher levels of AHN, PRL-R expression in the hippocampus, and serum PRL concentration. This study collectively reveals reduced serum PRL and AHN in dams with cognitive decline and depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors after CRS. Brief PS confers resistance to behavioral deficits after CRS, increasing serum PRL concentration and reversing AHN decrease in dams.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

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Keywords: Adult hippocampus neurogenesis; Depression; Prolactin; Pup separation

9002-62-4 (Prolactin)
0 (Receptors, Prolactin)

Date Created: 20240905 Date Completed: 20241003 Latest Revision: 20241004

20241005

10.1007/s11064-024-04231-8

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