A new study by Chinese researchers has advanced the understanding of sex differences in depression by exploring the biological mechanism of stress regulation in male and female mice.

This study provides a biological basis for the development of sex-specific early interventions for depression treatment, according to the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (NWIPB) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The study, conducted by a research team at the NWIPB, has been recently published in two journals -- CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics and Experimental Biology and Medicine, respectively.

Gender differences in depression have been a concern but remain an unsolved issue.

In this study, researchers adopted behavioral, pathological, multiomics and other methods to explore the biological pathways of male and female depressed mice via a chronic stress mouse model in terms of both static mechanisms and dynamic processes, according to Bi Hongtao, a researcher at the NWIPB.

The study results showed that stress induced anxiety-like behavior in female mice and depression-like behavior in male mice.

Notably, an imbalance in estrogen metabolism is a key link. Differences in neurotransmitter levels, disorders of the gut microbiota, and abnormal brain and gut metabolism may lead to sex differences in stress behavior.

Compared with male mice, female mice have greater stress sensitivity and weaker resilience, which may be related to differences in bacterial diversity and estrogen metabolism disorders.

This study provides multi-target directions for sex-specific interventions in depression, such as regulating estrogen metabolic pathways and seizing the critical periods of depression recovery, according to Bi.