G protein-coupled receptor 75 mediates depression-like behaviors and HPA axis hyperactivity through an excitatory arcuate-paraventricular nucleus circuit
摘要
Metabolic dysregulation is a core pathological feature of and a major risk factor for depression. In this study, the role of G protein-coupled receptor 75 (GPR75), a brain-enriched metabolic sensor, in the pathogenesis of depression was explored and its potential role as a therapeutic target was evaluated. In chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) models, GPR75 expression was specifically upregulated in the arcuate nucleus glutamatergic (ARCVglut2) neurons of susceptible mice, a finding corroborated by analyses of postmortem brains from patients with depression. Conditional (GPR75-cKO) or local (GPR75-lKO) genetic knockout of GPR75 in these neurons resulted in robust antidepressant-like effects, alleviation of depression-like behaviors, and normalization of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function. Pharmacological inhibition of GPR75 with an antagonist (AAA) elicited similar antidepressant-like effects. Conversely, overexpression or activation of GPR75 in ARCVglut2 neurons promoted depression-like behaviors in naïve mice. Mechanistically, GPR75 signaling acts through the Gαq-PLCβ-IP3R1 pathway to enhance Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and increase neuronal excitability. This facilitates glutamate release in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), resulting in HPA axis activation. Chemogenetic inhibition of ARCVglut2 neurons or the ARCVglut2-PVN circuit replicated the antidepressant-like effects of GPR75 ablation, whereas their activation abolished these benefits. These findings establish GPR75 expression in ARCVglut2 neurons as a critical mediator of depression and a potential target for novel antidepressants.