Different development patterns of reward behaviors induced by ketamine and JWH-018 in striatal GAD67 knockdown mice.
Journal of veterinary science September 1, 2024 Sun Mi Gu, Eunchong Hong, Sowoon Seo et al. 1 citation
Reducing levels of the GABA-synthesis enzyme GAD67 in the dorsal striatum of mice increased depression-like behavior but decreased anxiety. The reduction also heightened the rewarding effect of ketamine, measured by conditioned place preference, but did not alter the reward behavior triggered by the cannabinoid agonist JWH-018. The findings suggest that lower striatal GAD67 weakens GABAergic signaling, which may make the brain more vulnerable to ketamine's reward effects by enhancing NMDA receptor inhibition.