Nature
November 5, 2025
Chenyu Yue, Nan Wang, Haojiang Zhai et al.
22 citations
Adenosine signaling is identified as the central mechanism underlying the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Experiments in mice using genetically encoded adenosine sensors and real-time optical recordings show that both therapies cause strong adenosine surges in mood-regulatory brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Disrupting A1 and A2A adenosine receptors genetically or pharmacologically abolishes the therapeutic effects, establishing adenosine's essential role. Ketamine increases adenosine by modulating cellular metabolism without causing neuronal hyperactivity. Newly developed ketamine derivatives that enhance adenosine signaling show improved antidepressant efficacy with fewer side effects. Acute intermittent hypoxia, a non-pharmacological intervention, also increases brain adenosine and produces antidepressant effects, paralleling ketamine and ECT.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Tan Zhang, Nan Wang, Xiaoke Chai et al.
2 citations
In patients with disorders of consciousness, acute pressure pain stimulation did not produce significant changes in oxygenated or deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations across multiple brain regions, indicating minimal activation of pain-related areas. However, functional connectivity between the primary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex significantly increased during stimulation, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9. This enhanced coordination among sensory, motor, and cognitive regions suggests that the brain continues to process pain information through altered network connectivity even when regional activation is absent. The findings underscore the potential of functional connectivity measures for evaluating pain processing in patients with disorders of consciousness.
American journal of translational research
January 1, 2024
Baihong Wu, Nan Wang, Lili Hu et al.
1 citation
Advanced maternal age, higher education level, pregnancy complications, and a lower newborn Apgar score are independent risk factors for postpartum depression in elderly primiparas. A retrospective analysis of 75 women with postpartum depression found that those who received mindfulness-based psychological intervention, in addition to routine care, showed significantly greater improvements in self-efficacy, reductions in depression and anxiety scores, and better sleep quality compared to those receiving routine care alone. Progesterone levels also decreased more in the intervention group. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based intervention benefits emotional well-being and sleep quality in this population.
Zhonghua xingwei yixue yu naokexue zazhi
September 20, 2012
Guang-Fen Zhang, Nan Wang, Jinyun Shi et al.
In rats subjected to the forced swimming test, ketamine at 10 mg/kg reduced immobility time, an indicator of antidepressant-like effect, and lowered hippocampal nitric oxide (NO) levels. The NO precursor L-arginine increased NO and blocked ketamine's behavioral effect, while the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME enhanced the effect of a low ketamine dose (3 mg/kg) and also reduced NO. These findings suggest that ketamine's antidepressant action involves suppression of the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway.