催产素对产后抑郁症患者母性行为的调节作用

Roles of oxytocin in maternal behavior of women with postpartum depression and its underlying neural mechanisms

产后抑郁症是指女性分娩后一段时间内出现的严重抑郁发作现象。研究表明,催产素不仅参与分娩过程和正常的母性行为表达,也在调节产后抑郁的发病及患者的母性行为中起到了重要的作用。产后抑郁症患者的情绪和认知功能受损,这可能导致了母性行为表达质量的下降;催产素可以通过中脑边缘多巴胺系统来调控母性行为,作用于内侧视前区(MPOA)来激活中脑腹侧被盖区(VTA)−伏隔核(NAc)环路从而影响伏隔核内多巴胺的分泌;催产素对产后抑郁症中母性行为的调节机制可能是通过调节五羟色胺系统的功能来发挥抗焦虑作用,也可能是通过与其它激素的交互作用来加速母性行为的表达。未来研究进一步明确催产素在中枢神经环路中的功能差异,以及社会支持对产后抑郁症患者催产素的使用带来的影响。

Postpartum depression is a complex phenomenon of severe depressive episodes that occur within a period of time after delivery.Evidences suggest that oxytocin is an important modulator of female reproductive functions including parturition,lactation and maternal behavior,while it also plays an important role in modulating the development of postpartum depression and the maintain of maternal behavior.In postpartum depression patients,the emotional and cognitive impairment might contribute to the impairment of maternal behavior.Oxytocin directly regulates maternal behavior through the mesolimbic dopamine system.Oxytocin acting on medial preoptic area(MPOA)to activate the pathway of ventral tegmental area(VTA)-nucleus accumbens(NAc)and thus modulate the secretion of dopamine in NAc.Finally,we point out that oxytocin mediates maternal behavior in postpartum depression is through its modulation of the serotoninergic system,and its interactions with other hormones.Future studies should focus on functional differences of oxytocin in the central nervous system and the effect of social support on oxytocin uses in postpartum depression.