A remarkable decrease in immature nerve cells marked by DCX and mature neurons co-expressed by Brdu and NeuN during adult years were detected in the hippocampus of rats, which indicated that the hyperandrogenic intrauterine environment could induce depression and abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis in rats, and lithium chloride alleviated the effects on neurobehavioral and hippocampal abnormalities. Here, DCX is linked to depressive disorder.