Highlights 1. Agomelatine ameliorated anxiety and depression-like behaviors in rats. 2. Agomelatine regulated LPS-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis. 3. Agomelatine decreased the enhanced autophagy and synaptic damage in LPS-treated rats. 4. Agomelatine alleviated neural injury via suppression of Gαi-2-PKA-ASK1 pathway.