The effect of intraperitoneal administration of vitamin B3 (Niacin) on the model of postpartum depression in adult female mice

  Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can occur within a year after delivery and influence the mother and even the baby. Because antidepressant medications have numerous side effects, they should be used cautiously especially in nursing mothers. Vitamin B3 is involved in the synthesis of serotonin and also no side effects have been reported for its use in low dose. This study aimed to investigate the effect of niacin on postpartum depression in female mice models.
Subjects and In this study seventy two NMARI adult female mice were used: control, untreated depressed group (receiving progesterone), four depressed groups were treated with 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg/Kg niacin for 1 day and three depressed groups were treated for 8 days with 25, 50 or 100 mg/Kg niacin. The mice getting 5 mg/Kg of progesterone for 5 days were intraperitoneally depressed. The control group did not receive any drug or solvent. Depression was assessed using the forced swim test on the eighth day. Niacin prescribed in single dose of 50 (mg/Kg) (P=0.002) and also in a dose of 50 (mg/Kg) for 8 days (P=0.000) caused a significant reduction in the immobilization time in the depressed mice which had undergone the forced swim test, compared to untreated depressed mice. Prescription of progesterone promoted immobilization-induced depression in mice. Niacin reduced the time of immobility in the forced swimming test. These findings can be used to show the effects of niacin in the reduction of postpartum depression.