Antidepressant effect of globin digest through enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced depression

Many studies have reported that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators have antidepressant effects. Our previous study suggested that globin digest (GD) activate AMPK in the periphery. However, the effects of GD on depression remain unclear. Therefore, we examined whether GD has an antidepressant effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice. LPS-treated mice showed depression-like behavior in the tail-suspension test and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression levels; these changes were prevented by GD. Furthermore, GD enhanced AMPK phosphorylation in the dorsal hippocampus of LPS-treated mice. These findings indicate that GD may produce antidepressant effects via hippocampal AMPK/BDNF signaling.