Antidepressant-like effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in rat models

•TES induced antidepressant-like activities in S334ter-line-3 rat model of retinal degeneration.•TES induced antidepressant-like effects through both neurogenesis-dependent and -independent mechanisms in CUS-induced rat model of depression.•TES reduced plasma corticosterone levels and upregulated neurogenesis-related gene expression.•TES normalized protein expression of apoptotic and neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus and amygdala.