Exploring ketamine's reinforcement, cue-induced reinstatement, and nucleus accumbens cFos activation in male and female long evans rats.
Neuropharmacology September 1, 2024 Devin P Hagarty, Adam Dawoud, Alfonso Brea Guerrero et al. 6 citations
Ketamine, used for treatment-resistant depression, shows reinforcing effects in both male and female rats at higher doses (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg/infusion), with females self-administering more at the highest dose. All doses that supported self-administration led to cue-induced reinstatement. After reinstatement, ketamine-treated animals had higher cFos protein expression in the nucleus accumbens than saline controls, with greater expression in the core than shell subregion, and no sex differences in this neural activation. These dose- and sex-dependent effects highlight the need for further research into ketamine's addictive potential, especially at lower clinical doses.