Scientists discovered that missing or impaired TRPC5 gene can lead to obesity, behavioral issues, and postnatal depression, with potential treatment implications involving oxytocin. The study used mice to demonstrate similar symptoms and suggested oxytocin as a possible treatment. Credit: SciTechDaily.
com Researchers have discovered a gene that, when dysfunctional or absent, may lead to obesity, behavioral issues, and postnatal depression in mothers. This finding, published in the journal Cell , could have significant implications for treating postnatal depression. A study conducted on mice indicates that oxytocin could help relieve these symptoms.
Obesity and postnatal depression are significant global health problems. Postnatal depression affects more than one in 10 women within a year of giving birth and is linked to an increased risk of suicide, which accounts for as many as one in five maternal deaths in high-income countries. Meanwhile, obesity has more than doubled in adults since 1990 and quadrupled in adolescents, according to the World Health Organization.
While investigating two boys from different families with severe obesity, anxiety, autism, and behavioral problems triggered by sounds or smells, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, UK, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA, discovered that the boys were missing a single gene, known as TRPC5 , which sits on the X chromosome. Further investigation revealed that both boys inherited the ge.
