Essential role of microglial transforming growth factor-β1 in antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine and the novel antidepressant TGF-β1
Kai Zhang, Chun Yang, Lijia Chang, A. Sakamoto, Toru Suzuki, Yuko Fujita, Y. Qu, Siming Wang, Yaoyu Pu, Yunfei Tan, Xingming Wang, Tamaki Ishima, Yukihiko Shirayama, M. Hatano, Kenji F. Tanaka, Kenji Hashimoto
Translational Psychiatry January 27, 2020 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0733-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice after chronic social defeat stress |
| Interventions | (R)-ketamine (S)-ketamine RepSox SB431542 neutralizing antibody of TGF-β1 PLX3397 recombinant TGF-β1 |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Citations | 120 |
| Key points | (R)-ketamine's antidepressant effects in mice depend on microglial TGF-β1 signaling, and recombinant TGF-β1 produces rapid and lasting antidepressant effects. |
Abstract
In rodent models of depression, (R)-ketamine has greater potency and longer-lasting antidepressant effects than (S)-ketamine; however, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine remain unknown. Using RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified novel molecular targets that contribute to the different antidepressant effects of the two enantiomers. Either (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg) or (S)-ketamine (10 mg/kg) was administered to susceptible mice after chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). RNA-sequencing analysis of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and subsequent GSEA (gene set enrichment analysis) revealed that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling might contribute to the different antidepressant effects of the two enantiomers. (R)-ketamine, but not (S)-ketamine, ameliorated the reduced expressions of Tgfb1 and its receptors (Tgfbr1 and Tgfbr2) in the PFC and hippocampus of CSDS susceptible mice. Either pharmacological inhibitors (i.e., RepSox and SB431542) or neutralizing antibody of TGF-β1 blocked the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine in CSDS susceptible mice. Moreover, depletion of microglia by the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX3397 blocked the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine in CSDS susceptible mice. Similar to (R)-ketamine, the recombinant TGF-β1 elicited rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects in animal models of depression. Our data implicate a novel microglial TGF-β1-dependent mechanism underlying the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine in rodents with depression-like phenotype. Moreover, TGF-β1 and its receptor agonists would likely constitute a novel rapid-acting and sustained antidepressant in humans.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Rats | 2010 | Observational study | |
| Activation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission by Ketamine: A Novel Step in the Pathway from NMDA Receptor Blockade to Dopaminergic and Cognitive Disruptions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex Conscious rats | 1997 | Dose-response study with microdialysis and behavioral testing | |
| NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Mice | 2016 | Preclinical study | |
| The dissociative anaesthetics, ketamine and phencyclidine, selectively reduce excitation of central mammalian neurones by N‐methyl‐aspartate Spinal neurons in decerebrate or pentobarbitone-anaesthetized cats and rats | 1983 | Experimental study | |
| R-ketamine: a rapid-onset and sustained antidepressant without psychotomimetic side effects Mice | 2015 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 47
- Ketamine: A tale of two enantiomers Journal of Psychopharmacology November 6, 2020
- Molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of arketamine: beyond the NMDA receptor Molecular Psychiatry May 7, 2021
- Molecular mechanisms of the rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine. Biochemical Pharmacology July 1, 2020
- Microglial ERK-NRBP1-CREB-BDNF signaling in sustained antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine Molecular Psychiatry November 24, 2021
- A historical review of antidepressant effects of ketamine and its enantiomers. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior February 5, 2020
and 42 more in the library
Cites 34
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Nature April 24, 2016
- Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolite Pharmacology: Insights into Therapeutic Mechanisms Pharmacological Reviews June 26, 2018
- Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial American Journal of Psychiatry August 28, 2013
- A Randomized Add-on Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2010
and 29 more in the library