THE EFFECT OF SERTRALINE AND VOLUNTARY EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY ON LITTER CHARACTERISTICS AND POSTNATAL AFFECTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN RAT DAMS
Authors: Jarbou Noor S. , Mairinger Olivia , Kulen Elise , Mushahwar Lucas , Walpole Samara , Matthews Jasmine , Maksour Simon , Weston-Green Katrina , Dottori Mirella , Newell Kelly A. 
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Sertraline is the frontline pharmacotherapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety during pregnancy. However, there is little evidence regarding the effects of sertraline on maternal behaviour or the maternal brain. Furthermore, the efficacy of non-pharmacological approaches to treatment in pregnancy, such as exercise, are unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of sertraline and exercise during pregnancy on maternal postnatal depressive-like, anxiety-like and associated behaviours, as well as litter characteristics, in a rat model of depression. We also investigated the effects of these treatments on the maternal brain, focusing initially on DNA methylation and glutamatergic markers, which have been implicated in depression.

Method

Twenty-four female Wistar-Kyoto (WKY; strain that models depression and anxiety) rats were divided into three groups: 1. WKY-Sertraline; 2. WKY-Exercise, 3. WKY-Vehicle; Six female Wistar rats were included as controls. Rats were treated with sertraline (10mg/kg) or vehicle (33% propylene glycol) twice/day, from gestational day (GD) 1 to postnatal day (PN) 14. The WKY-Exercise group were provided access to a running wheel during pregnancy for 3 hours/day from GD1-18. Dam and litter characteristics, as well as pup ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs), were measured. Dams underwent behavioural testing at 5-weeks postnatal to assess depressive-, anxiety- and cognitive-like behaviours. Gene expression of DNA methylation markers (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a) and glutamate receptors (Grin1, Grin2a, Grin2b) were measured in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), using RT-qPCR.

Result

The WKY-Sertraline group gained 39% less weight in their first pregnancy week compared to all other groups (p<0.05) and produced smaller litters compared to Wistar controls (-43%;p=0.003) and WKY-Exercise (-38%;p=0.012), and WKY-Sertraline pups had slightly smaller brain weights (p=0.031 compared to WKY-Vehicle). The WKY-Exercise pups produced increased number of USVs at PN7 compared to WKY-Vehicle, with no treatment differences at PN14. The WKY strain however, did showed reduced average mean amplitude of calls and reduced average duration of calls at PN7 compared to WIS (p<0.01) and reduced number of calls at PN14 (p<0.01). Maternal sertraline treatment did not significantly affect dam behavioural measures, all maternal cortical gene expression. The WKY-Exercise group however showed reduced anxiety-like behaviours, spending more time in the open arms (620%;p=0.027) and less time in the closed arms (-22%;p=0.047) of the elevated plus maze (EPM) compared to WKY-Vehicle, and more time in the centre of the open field test (OFT) compared to WKY-Vehicle (132%;p=0.057). Furthermore, WKY-Exercise dams showed a 64% increase inDnmt3amRNA levels in the PFC compared to WKY-Vehicle (p=0.019).

Conclusion

Voluntary exercise during pregnancy in the WKY rat model, reduced postnatal anxiety-like behaviour in the dam. This was accompanied by elevatedDNMT3agene expression in the PFC, suggesting this region may be sensitive to DNA methylation changes following maternal exercise. In contrast, maternal sertraline did not impact these behaviours or genes. Maintaining sertraline treatment beyond PN14, may have resulted in broader effects on dam behaviour, which should be explored further. Maternal sertraline did appear to have some adverse effects on thein uteroenvironment, evidenced by smaller litters, with slightly smaller pup brain weights, which should be investigated further. Our findings suggest a long-term beneficial effect of exercise during pregnancy and supports future studies examining the effects of exercise in antenatal depression in the human population.