A cellular process known as autophagy that helps rid cells of waste may be impaired in pregnant women who develop postpartum depression (PPD), according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine, the University’s School of Medicine Johns Hopkins and UVA Health researchers.
“Our research indicates that autophagy may be decreased in pregnant women who develop PPD, so their cells are picking up an increasing amount of junk or unhealthy byproducts of the body’s metabolic processes,” said first author of the paper, Dr. Lauren M. Osborne, MD ’09, vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Osborne conducted the research while at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
In the paper, published Sept. 22 in Molecular Psychiatry, the researchers noted that understanding the underlying mechanisms of PPD could help clinicians better manage the disorder.
PPD is a serious mental illness that can endanger the well-being of the parents and the baby. One in eight women has the disorder, making it the most common postpartum complication. “If we could figure out a biological way to predict which people are at risk for PPD, we could better intervene during pregnancy to prevent this condition,” Osborne said.
The researchers decided to assess the role of messenger RNA in extracellular vesicles (EVs) in PPD, the first study of its kind to do so. Extracellular vesicles are membrane-bound structures that allow cells to exchange proteins, lipids, and messenger RNA involved in cell-to-cell communication. Previous research shows that EV levels increase during pregnancy.
“We know that extracellular RNA communication is involved in important aspects of pregnancy such as the shape of the placenta and problems such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia,” Osborne said. “It made sense to also study its role in PPD.”
The researchers studied blood plasma samples collected from seven non-depressed pregnant women who developed PPD and seven controls who did not have the disorder. The samples were taken during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and at two weeks, six weeks, three months and six months after delivery.
Although the study was small, the researchers found a significant difference between the two groups. Laboratory and computational analyzes of blood samples found that EV messenger RNA levels during pregnancy and the postpartum period were altered in women who developed PPD.
Notably, autophagy-associated EV mRNA levels were lower in PPD blood samples. How this directly connects to the development of PPD needs to be determined with further research, Osborne said.
To verify their findings, Osborne and his colleagues want to conduct a study of 600 women representing various racial and ethnic backgrounds.
“If we replicate our initial research, the study could form the basis of a biological test for pregnant women to help predict PPD,” Osborne said. “This could help clinicians prevent and manage the disease, either through non-pharmacological means such as mindfulness, yoga and neurofeedback, or drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.”
Heather Lindsey is a freelance writer for Weill Cornell Medicine.
/ Public communication. This material from the original organization/author(s) may be ad hoc in nature, edited for clarity, style and length. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s). See them in full here.