Effects of New Psychoactive Substance Esketamine on Behaviors and Transcription of Genes in Dopamine and GABA Pathways in Zebrafish Larvae.
Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology March 31, 2024 Si-Ying Li, Wen-Jun Shi, Dong-Dong Ma et al. 9 citations
Esketamine (ESK), the S-enantiomer of ketamine, alters behaviors and gene transcription in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant concentrations. At 12.4 ng L⁻¹, ESK reduced touch response at 48 hours post-fertilization and decreased swimming time and distance in the outer zone during light periods, suggesting reduced anxiety. ESK also increased transcription of dopamine pathway genes (th, ddc, drd1a, drd3, drd4a) and GABA pathway genes (slc6a1b, slc6a13, slc12a2). These results indicate that ESK can cause neurotoxicity in early-stage zebrafish by affecting heart rate, behaviors, and gene expression in dopamine and GABA pathways.