Affiliation:
1. Institute for Regenerative Medicine State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center Shanghai East Hospital Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research School of Life Sciences and Technology Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China
2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research School of Life Sciences and Technology Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China
Abstract
AbstractObesity, a growing global health concern, is closely linked to depression. However, the neural mechanism of association between obesity and depression remains poorly understood. In this study, neural‐specific WFS1 deficiency exacerbates the vicious cycle of obesity and depression in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD), positioning WFS1 as a crucial factor in this cycle. Through human pluripotent stem cells (hESCs) neural differentiation, it is demonstrated that WFS1 regulates Zn2+ homeostasis and the apoptosis of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and cerebral organoids by inhibiting the zinc transporter ZnT3 under the situation of dysregulated lipid metabolism. Notably, riluzole regulates ZnT3 expression to maintain zinc homeostasis and protect NPCs from lipotoxicity‐induced cell death. Importantly, riluzole, a therapeutic molecule targeting the nervous system, in vivo administration prevents HFD‐induced obesity and associated depression. Thus, a WFS1‐ZnT3‐Zn2+ axis critical is demonstrated for the vicious cycle of obesity and depression and that riluzole may have the potential to reverse this process against obesity and depression.
Funder
National Key Research and Development Program of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality