Dr. FORMOLO Douglas AffonsoLee, Thomas H.Thomas H.LeeYu, JiasuiJiasuiYuLin, KangguangKangguangLinChen, GangGangChenKranz, Georg S.Georg S.KranzYau, Suk-YuSuk-YuYau2025-09-112025-09-112023Biomedicines, 2023, vol. 11(2), article no. 249.2227-9059http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/25146<jats:p>(1) Background: Adiponectin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone that has antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in preclinical studies. Here, we investigated the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of sub-chronic treatment with AdipoRon, an adiponectin receptor agonist, and its potential linkage to changes in hippocampal adult neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. (2) Methods: Different cohorts of wild-type C57BL/6J and CamKIIα-Cre male mice were treated with sub-chronic (7 days) AdipoRon, followed by behavioral, molecular, and electrophysiological experiments. (3) Results: 7-day AdipoRon treatment elicited antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects but did not affect hippocampal neurogenesis. AdipoRon treatment reduced hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, neuronal activation in the ventral dentate gyrus, and long-term potentiation of the perforant path. The knockdown of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits GluN2A and GluN2B in the ventral hippocampus did not affect the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of AdipoRon. (4) Conclusions: Increasing adiponectin signaling through sub-chronic AdipoRon treatment results in antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects independent of changes in hippocampal structural and synaptic function.</jats:p>enDepressionAdiponectinAdipoRonAntidepressantAnxiolyticHippocampusSynaptic PlasticityPeer Reviewed Journal Article10.3390/biomedicines11020249