Antidepressant-like effects of ketamine involve CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling-mediated synaptic plasticity in the mPFC

Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, works in part by blocking a signaling pathway between immune cells and neurons in the brain. In mice with depression-like symptoms caused by corticosterone, a single dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) reversed behavioral deficits, reduced inflammation, and restored the structure of brain cells. Blocking the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling pathway—either with a drug or by silencing the gene—eliminated both the behavioral and brain-cell benefits of ketamine. This suggests that this chemokine pathway is essential for ketamine's antidepressant effects and could be a new target for treating depression.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist, produces rapid and sustained antidepressant actions, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. The CX 3 CL1/CX 3 CR1 signaling is closely related to mood disorders, and this study aims to investigate its role in ketamine’s antidepressant actions. We pharmacologically (AZD8797, a selective CX 3 CR1 antagonist) and genetically (intra-mPFC microinjection with AAV-CX 3 CR1-siRNA) manipulated the CX 3 CL1/CX 3 CR1 signaling and investigated their effects on ketamine’s antidepressant-like effects in mice treated with corticosterone (Cort), and observed changes in synaptic plasticity in response to these manipulations. We found that 24 h after drug injection, ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed the Cort-induced depression-like behaviors, and inhibited the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation. Ketamine significantly improved the Cort-induced impairment in the dendritic complexity and spine densities. In addition, our ELISA results showed that ketamine significantly inhibited the activation of CX 3 CL1/CX 3 CR1 signaling, and ketamine attenuated the upregulation of CX 3 CR1 and CX 3 CL1 expression in Cort-treated HT22 and BV2 cells in vitro. Furthermore, pretreatment with AZD8797 (0.8 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week) completely blocked ketamine’s antidepressant-like behavioral effects and eliminated ketamine-induced enhancement in the synaptic plasticity; intra-mPFC microinjection with AAV-CX 3 CR1-siRNA also prevented ketamine’s behavioral effects and beneficial effects on the synaptic plasticity. These findings demonstrated that CX 3 CL1/CX 3 CR1 signaling-mediated synaptic plasticity played essential roles in ketamine’s antidepressant-like effects, which opened a new door to targeting chemokines to improve depression symptoms.