Effects of novel small compounds targeting TrkB on neuronal cell survival and depression-like behavior

• Small compounds 48 and 56 enhanced cell growth in TrkB-expressing SH-SY5Y cells.
• Compounds 48 and 56 activated TrkB signaling in vitro and in vivo.
• The compounds-mediated TrkB phosphorylation was blocked by the Trk inhibitors.
• Compound 48 showed anti-depressant like effect in forced swim test.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) are involved in neuronal survival, maintenance, differentiation and synaptic plasticity. Deficiency of BDNF was reported to be associated with psychological disorders such as depression. Hence we examined proliferative effect of 11 candidate TrkB agonistic compounds in TrkB-expressing SH-SY5Y cells, via a hypothesis that some candidate compounds identified in our previous in silico screening for a small molecule targeting the BDNF binding domain of TrkB should activate TrkB signaling. In the present study, two promising compounds, 48 and 56, were identified and subsequently assessed for their ability to induce TrkB phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo. Likewise those seen in BDNF, the compounds mediated TrkB phosphorylation was blocked by the Trk inhibitor, K252a. Since BDNF-TrkB signaling deficiency is associated with the pathogenesis of depression and reactivation of this signaling by antidepressants is a cause of the pathogenic state recovery, the compounds were subjected to the assessment for forced swim test, which is a mouse model of depression. We found that compound 48 significantly reduced mouse immobility time compared with the control vehicle injection, suggesting the confirmation of hypothetical antidepressant-like efficacy of 48 compound in vivo. Thus, our present study demonstrated that compound 48, selected through in silico screening, is a novel activator of TrkB signaling and a potential antidepressant molecule.