Can FGF21 calm LPS-triggered despair in mice?
rhFGF21 (0.75–3 mg/kg) improved OFT locomotion and cut FST/TST immobility after LPS 0.83 mg/kg, lowered IL-1β/TNF-α/IL-6 and NF-κB, and lost benefit with FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074.
Source
FGF21 Attenuated LPS-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior <i>via</i> Inhibiting the Inflammatory Pathway
Study at a glance
- Design
- Animal / in-vitro — Male C57BL/6N mice pretreated with rhFGF21 then LPS 0.83 mg/kg; OFT/FST/TST plus primary microglia; FGFR1 blocker PD173074
- N
- N=5 · Western blot and related assays reported n=5; three in-vivo groups with rhFGF21 0.75, 1.5, and 3 mg/kg twice daily ×3 days
- Population
- Male C57BL/6N mice (20–25 g) and primary microglia challenged with LPS
- Outcome
- Open-field, tail-suspension, and forced-swim despair tests; hippocampal cytokines, Iba1 microglia, NF-κB, and FGFR1 dependence
Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.
What they did
Pretreated male C57BL/6N mice with rhFGF21 twice daily for 3 days, injected LPS 0.83 mg/kg, then ran OFT/FST/TST and hippocampal cytokine/NF-κB/microglia assays (n=5 blots), including PD173074 co-treatment and primary microglia.
What they found
LPS cut FGF21 and caused despair-like behavior; rhFGF21 (especially 1.5–3 mg/kg) restored locomotion, reduced immobility, suppressed IL-1β/TNF-α/IL-6, and blocked microglia/NF-κB. PD173074 reversed protection, implying FGFR1.
The limits
What it doesn't show
LPS sickness is not major depressive disorder; n=5 biochemistry and male-only mice cannot establish a human antidepressant dose.
Key terms
- FGF21
- Metabolic fibroblast growth factor; recombinant human FGF21 was the drug here.
- LPS
- Lipopolysaccharide inflammatory challenge (0.83 mg/kg i.p.).
- FST/TST
- Forced-swim and tail-suspension tests of immobility (despair-like).
- FGFR1
- FGF receptor 1; PD173074 blockade reversed rhFGF21’s benefit.
- NF-κB
- Inflammatory transcription pathway suppressed by rhFGF21.
- Iba1
- Microglial marker used to show activation in hippocampus.
Flashcards
Research intelligence for this paper
See its role on concept claims, tensions it is part of, placement history, and related discoveries.
Quiz yourself
rhFGF21 was tested against:
Common questions
What LPS dose induced despair-like behavior?
0.83 mg/kg i.p.
What rhFGF21 doses were tested?
0.75, 1.5, and 3 mg/kg twice daily for 3 days.
Which dose went forward?
1.5 mg/kg.
What blocked the benefit?
FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074.
More on Depression treatment