Gene expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of postpartum depression patients

Danqing Pan,Lei Zhang,Pengfei Gao,Binfei Jiang,Qizhu Su,Qian Xiao,Yilu Gu,Yuemei Xu,Yuling Du,Xiuhua Peng,Manman Chen,Bing Li,Qi Gao

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28509-4

Abstract

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental health problem that causes maternal suffering and various negative consequences for offspring. The pathogenesis of PPD and the causes of consequences for offspring remain largely unknown. Here, we applied RNA sequencing to sequence the whole transcriptomes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from PPD patients (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] score ≥13) and control subjects (EPDS = 0). We found that PPD was positively correlated with multiple genes involved in energy metabolism, neurodegenerative diseases and immune response, while negatively correlated with multiple genes in mismatch repair and cancer-related pathways. Remarkably, genes associated with appetite regulation and nutrient response were differentially expressed between PPD and control subjects. Then, we employed a postnatal growth retardation model by repeated immobilization stress (IS) stimulation to maternal mice. The expression of appetite regulation and nutrient response-related genes in the PBMCs of IS mice and in the hypothalamus of their offspring were also affected. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive characterization of the PBMCs transcriptome in PPD and suggests that maternal stress may affect appetite regulation and nutrient response in the hypothalamus of offspring mice.

Highlights

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most prominent mood disorders that affects 10% to 15% of parturient women[1]
PPD was positively correlated with multiple genes in energy metabolism, neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Prion disease) and immune response, while negatively correlated with multiple genes in mismatch repair and cancer-related pathways
Eight genes associated with appetite regulation and nutrient response, Interleukin 1 Beta (IL1B), Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), Retinoid X Receptor Alpha (RXRA), Insulin Receptor (INSR), Adrenoceptor Beta 3 (ADRB3), Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CNR1), Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG), were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in this study (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most prominent mood disorders that affects 10% to 15% of parturient women[1]. Studies have revealed the effects of PPD on the behavioral, cognitive, and social impairments of infants[4,5], as well as on infant physical health including poorer child cardiovascular functioning, higher rates of gastrointestinal infections and lower respiratory tract infections, and less weight gain[6,7,8,9,10]. Previous studies have shown that peripheral blood cells share more than 80% of the transcriptome with brain tissues[18]. Peripheral blood can be as a target tissue to explore mRNA expression profiling in PPD. We applied next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology to analyze mRNA expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from PPD patients and normal www.nature.com/scientificreports/. Further investigation indicated that several genes associated with appetite regulation and nutrient response may be related with the less weight gain of offspring

Methods

Results

Conclusion