Gestational iron supplementation reverses depressive-like behavior in post-partum Sprague Dawley rats: Evidence from behavioral and neurohistological studies

Kukuia, Kennedy Kwami Edem; Torbi, Joseph; Amoateng, Patrick; Adutwum-Ofosu, Kevin Kofi; Koomson, Awo Efua; Appiah, Frimpong; Tagoe, Thomas Amatey; Mensah, Jeffrey Amoako; Ameyaw, Elvis Ofori; Adi-Dako, Ofosua; Amponsah, Seth Kwabena

doi:10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.04.004

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 87 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The authors also demonstrated that iron supplementation prevented neuronal loss and increased dendritic spine density in the rat brain. The overall findings that perinatal iron supplementation could reduce susceptibility to postpartum depression, while iron deficiency had the opposite effect, are consistent with human studies [87].…”

Section: Iron Deficiency-related Depression/anxiety Disorderssupporting

confidence: 87%

Brain Iron Homeostasis and Mental Disorders

Wu,

Ren,

Meng

et al. 2023

Antioxidants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Iron plays an essential role in various physiological processes. A disruption in iron homeostasis can lead to severe consequences, including impaired neurodevelopment, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, and cancer. Interestingly, the link between mental health disorders and iron homeostasis has not received significant attention. Therefore, our understanding of iron metabolism in the context of psychological diseases is incomplete. In this review, we aim to discuss the pathologies and potential mechanisms that relate to iron homeostasis in associated mental disorders. We propose the hypothesis that maintaining brain iron homeostasis can support neuronal physiological functions by impacting key enzymatic activities during neurotransmission, redox balance, and myelination. In conclusion, our review highlights the importance of investigating the relationship between trace element nutrition and the pathological process of mental disorders, focusing on iron. This nutritional perspective can offer valuable insights for the clinical treatment of mental disorders.

show abstract

Section: Iron Deficiency-related Depression/anxiety Disorderssupporting

confidence: 87%

Brain Iron Homeostasis and Mental Disorders

Wu,

Ren,

Meng

et al. 2023

Antioxidants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Following removal of the brains from the skulls, they were injected with Golgi-Cox staining solution, and processed using a previously described method by Kukuia et al (2022) . Briefly, the injected brains were serially sectioned at a thickness of 100 µm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extract of Mallotus oppositifolius (Geiseler) Müll. Arg. increased prefrontal cortex dendritic spine density and serotonin and attenuated para-chlorophenylalanine-aggravated aggressive and depressive behaviors in mice

Kukuia

Appiah²,

Dugbartey

et al. 2022

Front. Pharmacol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background/Aim: Depression-related aggression is linked to serotonin (5-HT) and dendritic spine alterations. Although Mallotus oppositifolius extract (MOE) has potential for reducing this effect, its specific role remains uncertain. Herein, we evaluated this potential and associated alterations in the brain.Methods: A standard resident-intruder model of para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA)-induced depression-associated aggression in male ICR mice was used. The resident mice received pCPA (300 mg/kg, i. p.) for 3 consecutive days while saline-treated mice served as negative control. The pCPA aggressive mice were subsequently treated orally with either MOE (30, 100, 300 mg/kg), fluoxetine (20 mg/kg), tryptophan (20 mg/kg) or saline (untreated pCPA group) for 28 days. Locomotor activity was assessed using open field test. Serotonin (5-HT) levels in mice brain and phytochemical fingerprint of MOE were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) while gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify constituents of MOE. Dendritic spine density and morphology were evaluated using Golgi-Cox staining technique and analyzed with ImageJ and Reconstruct software.Results: Administration of pCPA induced aggressive behavior in mice, evidenced by increased attack behaviors (increased number and duration of attacks), which positively correlated with squeaking and tail rattling. MOE treatment significantly reduced these characteristics of aggression in comparison with vehicle (non-aggressive) and untreated pCPA groups (p < 0.001), and also reduced social exploration behavior. Although the behavioral effects of MOE were comparable to those of fluoxetine and tryptophan, these effects were quicker compared to fluoxetine and tryptophan. Additionally, MOE also markedly increased 5-HT concentration and dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex relative to vehicle and untreated pCPA groups (p < 0.05). Interestingly, these behavioral effects were produced without compromising locomotor activity. GC-MS analysis of the MOE identified 17 known compounds from different chemical classes with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective and antidepressant activities, which may have contributed to its anti-aggressive effect.Conclusion: MOE decreased depression-associated aggressive behavior in mice via increased 5-HT concentration and dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex. The MOE-mediated effects were faster than those of fluoxetine and tryptophan. Our finding suggests that MOE may have clinical promise in decreasing aggressive and depressive behaviors.

show abstract