Cited by 105Treatment of Major DepressionNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

GLYX-13 Produces Rapid Antidepressant Responses with Key Synaptic and Behavioral Effects Distinct from Ketamine

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Liu, Rong-Jian, Duman, Catharine, Kato, Taro, Hare, Brendan, Lopresto, Dora, Bang, Eunyoung, Burgdorf, Jeffery, Moskal, Joseph +3 more·2017·Neuropsychopharmacology

Abstract

GLYX-13 is a putative NMDA receptor modulator with glycine-site partial agonist properties that produces rapid antidepressant effects, but without the psychotomimetic side effects of ketamine. Studies were conducted to examine the molecular, cellular, and behavioral actions of GLYX-13 to further characterize the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of this agent. The results demonstrate that a single dose of GLYX-13 rapidly activates the mTORC1 pathway in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and that infusion of the selective mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin into the medial PFC (mPFC) blocks the antidepressant behavioral actions of GLYX-13, indicating a requirement for mTORC1 similar to ketamine. The results also demonstrate that GLYX-13 rapidly increases the number and function of spine synapses in the apical dendritic tuft of layer V pyramidal neurons in the mPFC. Notably, GLYX-13 significantly increased the synaptic responses to hypocretin, a measure of thalamocortical synapses, compared with its effects on 5-HT responses, a measure of cortical-cortical responses mediated by the 5-HT 2A receptor. Behavioral studies further demonstrate that GLYX-13 does not influence 5-HT 2 receptor induced head twitch response or impulsivity in a serial reaction time task (SRTT), whereas ketamine increased responses in both tests. In contrast, both GLYX-13 and ketamine increased attention in the SRTT task, which is linked to hypocretin-thalamocortical responses. The differences in the 5-HT 2 receptor synaptic and behavioral responses may be related to the lack of psychotomimetic side effects of GLYX-13 compared with ketamine, whereas regulation of the hypocretin responses may contribute to the therapeutic benefits of both rapid acting antidepressants.

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Crossref · 10.1038/npp.2016.202

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  • Rapastinel reverses synaptic plasticity deficits and exhibits antidepressant-like effects in rodent models.

    “Of note, however, rapastinel, another drug that reverses synaptic plasticity deficits and exhibits antidepressant-like effects in rodent models 36,37 , has been studied in 3 clinical trials to date with relatively weak evidence for its efficacy 38 .”

    From Neuroplasticity in cognitive and psychological mechanisms of depression: an integrative model (2020) · cites this paper as [36]

    The GLYX-13 Increases mTORC1 Signaling in the PFC section reports antidepressant-like effects of GLYX-13 (rapastinel) in rodent behavioral tests, and the synaptic-results section reports increased dendritic spine density. The Discussion does not show that GLYX-13 reverses an existing synaptic plasticity deficit; it attributes reversal of stress-related synaptic deficits to ketamine. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Several ketamine-like glutamate modulators, including AXS-05 and esketamine, are under investigation by pharmaceutical companies and in Clinical Trial phases II and III for depression.

    “Several ketamine-like glutamate modulators, including AXS-05 and esketamine, are under investigation by pharmaceutical companies and in Clinical Trial phases II and III for depression (Liu et al, 2016;Murrough, 2016).”

    From Ketamine for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial (2018) · cites this paper as Liu et al, 2016

    The Introduction (page unavailable) describes GLYX-13 as a glutamatergic compound with preliminary evidence of antidepressant effects in patients, and the Funding section identifies support from Naurex. This supports the general point that a ketamine-related glutamate modulator was being investigated for depression. The paper does not identify AXS-05 or esketamine or establish phase II or III trial status for them. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A single dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) produced similar effects on mTORC1 signaling proteins.

    “A single dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) produced effects (Figure 4, C-E) similar to those previously reported (7, 8, 11, 24).”
  • Many forms of activity-dependent plasticity are likely NMDAR-dependent, supported by the antidepressant-like actions of GLYX-13 in preclinical models.

    “Many of these forms of activity-dependent plasticity are likely to be NMDAR-dependent, as supported by the antidepressant-like actions of the NMDAR positive allosteric modulator GLYX-13 (rapastinel) in preclinical models [213].”
  • Partial agonists at the NMDAR glycineB binding site, including GLYX-13 and D-cycloserine, manifest antidepressant effects in clinical trials and animal tests without sharing ketamine's NMDAR inhibition-mediated side effects.

    “Another finding challenging the NMDAR inhibition hypothesis of ketamine’s antidepressant mechanism of action is the fact that partial agonists at the NMDAR glycineB binding site, including GLYX-13 (i.e., rapastinel) and D-cycloserine manifest antidepressant effects in clinical trials 104, 105 and in animal tests 106–109, without sharing ketamine’s NMDAR inhibition-mediated side effects 109.”

    From Mechanisms of ketamine action as an antidepressant (2018) · cites this paper as [108]

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Authors
Liu, R.-J., Duman, C., Kato, T., Hare, B., Lopresto, D., Bang, E., Burgdorf, J., Moskal, J., Taylor, J., Aghajanian, G., & Duman, R. S.
Affiliations
  • Yale University (US)
  • Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (Japan) (JP)
  • Northwestern University (US)
Corresponding author
Duman, Ronald S
Venue
Neuropsychopharmacology
Published
2016-09-16
Volume
42
Issue
6
Pages
1231-1242
ISSN
  • 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
  • 1740-634X
OpenAlex
W2518780615
Cited by
105
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 14
FWCI
12.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Yale University
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH093897, R37MH045481)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
ketamine, rapid-acting antidepressants, NMDA receptor modulators, mTORC1 signaling, rapamycin, medial prefrontal cortex, orexin, thalamocortical synapses, 5-HT2A receptor, impulsivity, attention, psychotomimetic side effects
MeSH terms
Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Behavior, Animal, Ketamine, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Oligopeptides, Synapses, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Prefrontal Cortex, Rats

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