Postpartum oxytocin receptor plasticity in Syrian hamsters: Implications for the treatment of peripartum mood disorders
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2018
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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eng
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Open Access
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Abstract
Peripartum mood disorders, if left untreated, result in negative outcomes for both the mother and child. Despite these severe consequences, the neurobiology of peripartum mood disorders is not well understood. The present study aims to build upon previous research investigating the role of oxytocin in neuroplastic and behavioral changes during the peripartum period. Past work found a significant increase in oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the PVN as a result of hormone withdrawal in a hormone-simulated pregnancy model conducted in Syrian hamsters. Using the same model, we studied post-synaptic plasticity: specifically, we assessed which PVN efferents, if any, experienced changes in oxytocin receptor expression using receptor autoradiography. The regions of interest in this study were medial amygdala (MA), nucleus accumbens (NA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the raphe nuclei as each of these four areas are heavily involved in the production of maternal behavior. There was a significant increase in OTR density in the dorsal raphe in the hormone withdrawn group as compared to oil control. Changes in OTR density in the dorsal RN, which regulates serotonergic activity and anxiety- and depression-related behavior in humans and rodents, may play a role in the development or sustainment of peripartum mood disorders.