Social stress-induced depressive-like symptoms and changes in gut microbial and lipidomic profiles are prevented by pharmacological inhibition of FAAH activity in male rats.

Pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity has antidepressant-like effects in preclinical models of stress. In this study, we investigated whether the antidepressant-like effects of FAAH inhibition are associated with corresponding changes in gut microbial and lipidomic profiles, which are emerging as critical components in the pathophysiology of depression. Adult male Wistar rats experienced five weeks of repeated social defeat or control procedure and were treated with the FAAH inhibitor URB694 (0.3 mg/kg/day, i.p.) or vehicle starting from the third week. Repeated social defeat induced the emergence of depressive-like behavioral (sucrose preference reduction and passive coping behaviors in the forced swim test) and neuroendocrine (increased corticosterone levels) changes, which were prevented by URB694 treatment. Repeated social defeat also provoked a significant variation in gut microbiota (changes in the relative abundance of 14 bacterial taxa) and lipidic (e.g., glycerophospholipids) composition. These stress-induced changes were prevented by URB694 treatment. These findings indicate that inhibition of FAAH activity with URB694 blocks the co-occurrence of depressive-like behavioral and neuroendocrine changes and alterations in gut microbial and lipid composition in rats exposed to repeated social defeat. In conclusion, these results suggest that the gut microbiota-lipid crosstalk may represent a novel biological target for FAAH inhibitors to enhance stress resilience.