Gestational stress decreases postpartum mitochondrial respiration in the prefrontal cortex of female rats.

ABSTRACT: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major psychiatric complication of childbirth, affecting up to 20% of mothers, yet remains understudied. Mitochondria, dynamic organelles crucial for cell homeostasis and energy production, share links with many of the proposed mechanisms underlying PPD pathology. Brain mitochondrial function is affected by stress, a major risk factor for development of PPD, and is linked to anxiety-like and social behaviors. Considering the importance of mitochondria in regulating brain function and behavior, we hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with behavioral alterations in a chronic stress-induced rat model of PPD. Using a validated and translationally relevant chronic mild unpredictable stress paradigm during late gestation, we induced PPD-releva

SUBMITTER: Gorman-Sandler E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10466928 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature