Hypericin: A potential gut microbiota-based therapeutic for postpartum depression via modulating bile acid metabolism

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental disorder that occurs in a special period of time, but its pathophysiological mechanism is still unclear. Although hypericin has been shown to have therapeutic effects in previous studies, the underlying mechanisms of its treatment of PPD, especially its interaction with the gut-brain axis, remain to be explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of hypericin in the treatment of PPD.

The PPD rat model was established by ovariectomy and hormone withdrawal after simulating pregnancy. Postpartum depression-like behavior was assessed by sucrose preference test and open field test. We integrated 16S rRNA sequencing, targeted plasma bile acid metabolomics, brain tissue transcriptomics, histopathology and molecular biology to explain the mechanism.

Hypericin intervention significantly improved the postpartum depression-like behavior of PPD model rats. This effect was abolished by depletion of the microbiota induced by antibiotic sweeps, thus establishing that the involvement of the gut microbiota is required for the efficacy of hypericin. Hypericin can reverse the abnormal changes of gut microbiota, bile acid metabolism and inflammatory response observed in PPD model, so as to play a role in the treatment of PPD.

Hypericin plays an antidepressant role in PPD model, mainly by restoring gut microbiota homeostasis, thereby correcting bile acid metabolism disorders. In this study, the "gut microbiota-bile acid" axis is the key pathological feature and therapeutic target of PPD, and hypericin is expected to become a therapeutic candidate based on the gut microbiota.