TIAM1-mediated synaptic plasticity underlies comorbid depression-like and ketamine antidepressant-like actions in chronic pain.

Authors

Qin Ru
Yungang Lu
Ali Bin Saifullah
Francisco A Blanco
Changqun Yao
Juan P Cata
De-Pei Li
Kimberley F Tolias
Lingyong Li

Publication Date

12-15-2022

Journal

Journal of Clinical Investigation

DOI

10.1172/JCI158545

PMID

36519542

PMCID

PMC9753999

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

12-15-2022

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Animals, Mice, Antidepressive Agents, Chronic Pain, Depression, Ketamine, Neuronal Plasticity, T-Lymphoma Invasion and Metastasis-inducing Protein 1, Neuroscience

Abstract

Chronic pain often leads to depression, increasing patient suffering and worsening prognosis. While hyperactivity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) appears to be critically involved, the molecular mechanisms underlying comorbid depressive symptoms in chronic pain remain elusive. T cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) is a Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that promotes dendrite, spine, and synapse development during brain development. Here, we show that Tiam1 orchestrates synaptic structural and functional plasticity in ACC neurons via actin cytoskeleton reorganization and synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) stabilization. This Tiam1-coordinated synaptic plasticity underpins ACC hyperactivity and drives chronic pain-induced depressive-like behaviors. Notably, administration of low-dose ketamine, an NMDAR antagonist emerging as a promising treatment for chronic pain and depression, induces sustained antidepressant-like effects in mouse models of chronic pain by blocking Tiam1-mediated maladaptive synaptic plasticity in ACC neurons. Our results reveal Tiam1 as a critical factor in the pathophysiology of chronic pain-induced depressive-like behaviors and the sustained antidepressant-like effects of ketamine.

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