Isoflurane produces antidepressant effects inducing BDNF-TrkB signaling in CUMS mice.

Rationale: The volatile anesthetic isoflurane is suggested to produce a rapid and robust antidepressive effect in preliminary clinical trials. Recently, isoflurane was found to activate the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling which is the underlying mechanism of the rapid antidepressant ketamine.

Objective: Our study investigated the effect of isoflurane anesthesia on chronic unpredictable mild stressed (CUMS) model in mice and verified the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB/ the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in the antidepressant effect of isoflurane.