Scientists from Nagoya University in Japan have clarified the connection between energy levels and fertility in both animals and humans. They discovered that signaling from serotonin neurons plays a crucial role in maintaining reproductive function by detecting glucose availability, which in turn enhances the release of the reproductive hormone gonadotropin. These findings also offer an explanation for the reduced fertility seen in individuals with depression and suggest potential treatments. The study was published in
Their findings indicate that serotonergic neurons can release serotonin when they sense high levels of glucose. By interacting with serotonin receptors in the kisspeptin neurons, they can improve reproductive functions. The use of inhibitors for serotonergic signaling also allowed the researchers to establish that the opposite was true. This important finding sheds light on why mammals with a poor diet face problems associated with fertility.
Depression can often be attributed to malfunctioning serotonergic neurons in the brain, which are often targeted for treatment. The dysfunction of serotonin neurons often observed in individuals with depression suggests that low serotonergic activity might be a part of its cause. Nakamura’s research lays the groundwork for treating depression-induced infertility in humans and reproductive disorders in livestock, which implies a possible underlying connection and a potential treatment.
“Since selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to treat depression in patients, studies indicate that these drugs may also have potential benefits for addressing depression-related infertility and treating animals,” said Professor Tsukamura, the Principal Investigator of the research group and corresponding author of the paper. She proposes that SSRIs could potentially be used in the future for human and animal reproduction, or in combination with diet treatments for people with depression.
Reference: “Raphe glucose-sensing serotonergic neurons stimulate KNDy neurons to enhance LH pulses via 5HT2CR: rat and goat studies” by Sho Nakamura, Takuya Sasaki, Yoshihisa Uenoyama, Naoko Inoue, Marina Nakanishi, Koki Yamada, Ai Morishima, Reika Suzumura, Yuri Kitagawa, Yasuhiro Morita, Satoshi Ohkura and Hiroko Tsukamura, 3 May 2024, Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58470-4