AUTHOR=Pinna Graziano , Almeida Felipe B. , Davis John M. 

TITLE=Allopregnanolone in Postpartum Depression

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Global Women's Health

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/global-womens-health/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.823616

DOI=10.3389/fgwh.2022.823616

ISSN=2673-5059

ABSTRACT=<p>Postpartum depression (PPD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by a high worldwide prevalence and serious long-term negative outcomes for both mothers and children. The lack of a specific treatment and overreliance on pharmacotherapy with limited efficacy and delayed treatment response has constituted a complication in the management of PPD. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA approved a synthetic formulation of the GABAergic neurosteroid allopregnanolone, administered intravenously (brexanolone) for the rapid, long-lasting and effective treatment of PPD. Hereinafter, we review findings on allopregnanolone biosynthesis and GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor plasticity in the pathophysiology of PPD. We also discuss evidence supporting the efficacy of brexanolone for the treatment of PPD, which opens a promising new horizon for neurosteroid-based therapeutics for mood disorders.</p>