Monoamine neurotransmitters and metabolites during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.

A wide variety of behavioral changes in the female rat have been associated with the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and the postpartum period and their accompanying hormonal fluctuations. Since monoamine systems have been implicated in the control of these behaviors, the present study examined the tissue concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5HT) and their primary metabolites dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) in the anterior cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum during the estrous cycle, late pregnancy, and the early postpartum period. Results show no significant differences in neurotransmitter or metabolite levels during the estrous cycle in any of the three brain regions examined. However, profound differences were observed between samples from late pregnancy, early postpartum, and the estrous cycle. In general, NE and 5HT levels in all three brain regions fell from normal values during late pregnancy and rose in the early postpartum period; levels of their metabolites rose in postpartum samples. Conversely, DA levels were elevated in late pregnancy and depressed in the early postpartum period in anterior cortex, while DOPAC levels were depressed in both late pregnancy and the early postpartum period. The finding of changes in monoamine metabolism associated with pregnancy and its termination could be important in understanding the increased susceptibility to affective illness in women during the postpartum period.