Lateral habenula astroglia modulate the potentiating antidepressant-like effects of bright light stimulation in intractable depression.
Frontiers in pharmacology January 1, 2025 Sarah Delcourte, Amel Bouloufa, Renaud Rovera et al. 3 citations
Bright light stimulation (BLS) alone was ineffective against anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in a novel mouse model of refractory depression, induced by social isolation and chronic despair during the active dark phase. However, BLS potentiated the effects of antidepressant treatments, including ketamine, through a circuit involving rod retinal photoreceptors, lateral habenula (LHb) astroglia, and serotonin (5-HT). Chemogenetic activation of LHb astroglia or serotonin depletion blocked this potentiating effect. The findings suggest BLS enhances antidepressant efficacy via a previously unknown neural pathway.