The effect and mechanism of low-dose esketamine in neuropathic pain-related depression-like behavior in rats.
Brain research November 15, 2024 Lijuan Wang, Shuwu Zhao, Jiali Shao et al. 7 citations
In a rat model of neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury, low-dose esketamine relieved depression-like behaviors such as reduced mobility in a forced swim test and decreased preference for sucrose. The drug did not significantly change pain sensitivity. Proteomic analysis of the medial prefrontal cortex revealed that esketamine reversed the upregulation of mGluR5 and Homer1a proteins seen in the pain-depression model. The Homer1a–mGluR5 signaling pathway may underlie esketamine's antidepressant effect in neuropathic pain-related depression.