New insights into the effects of caffeine on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in stressed mice: Inhibition of CORT‐induced microglia activation

Abstract Chronic stress‐evoked depression has been implied to associate with the decline of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Caffeine has been known to combat stress‐evoked depression. Herein, we aim to investigate whether the protective effect of caffeine on depression is related with improving adult hippocampus neurogenesis and explore the mechanisms. Mouse chronic water immersion restraint stress (CWIRS) model, corticosterone (CORT)‐established cell stress model, a coculture system containing CORT‐treated BV‐2 cells and hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs) were utilized. Results showed that CWIRS caused obvious depressive‐like disorders, abnormal 5‐HT signaling, and elevated‐plasma CORT levels. Notably, microglia activation‐evoked brain inflammation and inhibited neurogenesis were also observed in the hippocampus of stressed mice. In comparison, intragastric administration of caffeine (10 and 20 mg/kg, 28 days) significantly reverted CWIRS‐induced depressive behaviors, neurogenesis recession and microglia activation in the hippocampus. Further evidences from both in vivo and in vitro mechanistic experiments demonstrated that caffeine treatment significantly suppressed microglia activation via the A2AR/MEK/ERK/NF‐κB signaling pathway. The results suggested that CORT‐induced microglia activation contributes to stress‐mediated neurogenesis recession. The antidepression effect of caffeine was associated with unlocking microglia activation‐induced neurogenesis inhibition.