Non-targeted and Targeted Metabolomics Techniques Reveal Striatal Metabolome Characteristics in the Ketamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference Mice Model.
Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN July 12, 2025 Weihao Fan, Yi Ye, Hongkun Yang et al. 1 citation
Ketamine, originally developed as an anesthetic, is now being studied for depression treatment, but its addictive potential is a growing concern. This research used a mouse model of ketamine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) to investigate changes in the striatum, a brain region involved in reward. Advanced metabolomics techniques revealed that ketamine abuse alters striatal metabolites, affecting pathways related to arginine synthesis, purine metabolism, and morphine addiction. Specifically, ketamine increased the neurotransmitter kynurenine (Kyn) and decreased dopamine (DA) in the striatum. These disturbances in Kyn and DA metabolism may underlie the addictive behaviors seen in the CPP model, offering new insights into ketamine addiction mechanisms.