Development of a novel depression model in female mice.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K05998
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42040:Laboratory animal science-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Hikaru 香川大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50587392)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: うつ病 / 周産期 / ストレス / モデル動物 / 実験動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, the increase in the number of patient suffering from depression has become a public problem. Although women are more than twice as likely as men to develop depression, the suitable animal model for depression using females has not been established. Therefore, the pathomechanism of depression in females is still unknown.
In this research project, we aimed to develop a new female mouse model of perinatal depression that mimics female depression during the perinatal period. We subjected female mice to chronic social defeat stress during the perinatal period. As a result, we found that perinatal female mice subjected to chronic non-discriminatory social defeat stress accompanied with sentinel male mice exhibited depression-like phenotypes such as social avoidance behavior and decreased sucrose preference at a high rate.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今後、本研究によって確立した周産期うつ病モデル雌マウスの脳病態解析を進める。それによって、周産期に起こる性ホルモンの急激な変動と精神的なストレスの複合的な要因で引き起こされる女性のうつ病病態を解明できるものと考えている。
さらには、この新規の周産期うつ病モデル雌マウスを、雄のうつ病モデルと共に解析に用いれば、そこで見出された治療薬は、男女問わず、なお且つ、周産期など性ホルモンに劇的な変化をきたす時期にも効果を示す広範囲のうつ病患者に適応できる新規の抗うつ薬となることを期待している。