Tryp-Mind

 During the peripartum period, women are vulnerable to psychopathologies such as postpartum depression, impacting maternal care behavior and offspring neurodevelopment. The use of antidepressant medications, like sertraline, can lead to adverse outcomes in offspring, emphasizing the need for effective interventions. Nutritional interventions, particularly tryptophan, an exogenous amino acid precursor of serotonin, have garnered attention for their role in modulating perinatal depression and offspring outcomes. This project investigates the impact of maternal tryptophan availability on perinatal depression and long-term offspring mental health, focusing on the gut-placenta-brain axis. For that, pregnant mice will receive supplemented tryptophan diet and will be subjected to psychosocial stress. The interaction between maternal nutrition, perinatal depression and offspring neurodevelopment will be elucidated by evaluation of maternal behavior, offspring development, and neurochemical profiles. We expect to identify new therapeutic interventions to minimize the adverse effects of perinatal depression on maternal and offspring well-being. 

postpartum depression | maternal nutrition | tryptophan | serotonin | gut-placenta-brain axis

2024-2028