Background: Joint pain is common in patients with depression, but its structural basis and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the underlying pathological changes and signaling pathways contributing to depression-related joint pain. Materials and Methods: Using inflammatory and chronic stress-induced mouse models of depression, we evaluated osteoclast activation, subchondral bone remodeling, and associated behavioral alterations. Molecular and genetic analyses were conducted to examine the role of the Lbp-Tlr4-Netrin-1 signaling axis and key metabolic genes including Gdf-15, LepR, and PPARγ, specifically in adipose tissue, bone marrow, and osteoclasts. Additionally, we assessed the impact of muscle degeneration on joint pathology, and conditionally deleted TGF-β1 in muscle satellite cells to determine its role in joint preservation. Results: Depression-induced joint pain was associated with increased osteoclast activity and extensive subchondral bone remodeling. The Lbp-Tlr4-Netrin-1 axis was highly upregulated in depressed subchondral bone, and its inhibition alleviated both pain-like behaviors and excessive bone resorption while mitigating depression-related weight loss. Deletion of Gdf-15, LepR, and PPARγ revealed that lipid metabolism genes significantly affect both depressive behavior and pain. Depression promoted TGF-β-mediated mesenchymal stem cell senescence and adipogenic differentiation, resembling pathological changes seen in aging and obesity. Notably, simple weight gain without metabolic correction worsened joint damage. Muscle wasting due to depression also contributed to joint pathology, and deletion of TGF-β1 in satellite cells improved joint integrity. Conclusions: Depression-related joint pain is not merely a psychological phenomenon but a complex organic disorder with defined structural and molecular underpinnings. It involves dysregulated lipid metabolism, aging-associated pathways, and multi-organ interactions between fat, muscle, bone, and the nervous system.
Zhao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.