ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Neuropharmacology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1519287

Exploring the Diagnostic Potential of IL1R1 in Depression and Its Association with Lipid Metabolism

Provisionally accepted
Yao  GaoYao Gao1,2Xiao-Na  SongXiao-Na Song3Nan  ZhangNan Zhang3Huang-Hu  LiuHuang-Hu Liu1,2Jian-Zhen  HuJian-Zhen Hu1,2Xin-Zhe  DuXin-Zhe Du1,2Guo-Hua  SongGuo-Hua Song3Sha  LiuSha Liu1,2*
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
  • 2Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
  • 3Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, 56 Xinjian South Rd, Taiyuan 030001, China., Shanxi province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Depression is a complex mental disorder where oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders play crucial roles, yet their connection requires further exploration. This study aims to investigate the roles of oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders in depression using bioinformatics methods and Mendelian randomization analysis.Methods: A differential gene expression analysis was performed on the GSE76826 dataset, followed by identification of the intersection with genes related to OS. Subsequently, support vector machine (SVM) and random forest algorithms were employed to determine the optimal division of feature variables. The diagnostic performance was evaluated using a ROC diagnostic model and Diagnostic Nomogram. Furthermore, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore the causal relationship between the gene and depression. The expression patterns of key genes in brain tissue were analyzed using the Human eFP Browser database, while their associations with metabolism-related genes were investigated using the STRING database.Finally, DrugnomeAI was utilized to assess the drug development potential of these genes, and small molecule compounds targeting them were identified through dgidb and ChEMBL databases; molecular docking studies were then conducted to evaluate their binding affinity.Results: By conducting a comprehensive analysis of oxidative stress-related genes and depression-related target genes, we have successfully identified 12 overlapping genes. These 12 genes were selected using support vector machine and random forest algorithms. Upon analyzing the diagnostic model, it was revealed that EPAS1 and IL1R1 serve as key biomarkers for OS in depression, with IL1R1 exhibiting the highest diagnostic potential among them. Additionally, MRfen analysis suggests that IL1R1 may play a protective role against depression. Notably, this gene exhibits high expression levels in crucial brain regions such as the olfactory bulb, corpus callosum, and hippocampus. Furthermore, our findings indicate an association between IL1R1 and lipid-related genes PDGFB, PIK3R1, TNFRSFIAA NOD2, and LYN. DrugnomeAI analysis indicated promising medicinal value for ILIRI with BI 639667 demonstrating superior binding affinity among the selected small molecule drugs.Conclusion: This study provides novel insights into the association between OS and dyslipidemia metabolism in depression, offering potential therapeutic targets for future drug development.

Keywords: Depression, Il1r1, Oxidative Stress, Lipid Metabolism, Diagnostic potential, Mendelian randomization, drug target

Received: 30 Oct 2024; Accepted: 11 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Song, Zhang, Liu, Hu, Du, Song and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Sha Liu, Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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