Effects of nitrous oxide and ketamine on the prefrontal cortex in mice: a comparative study
bioRxiv Preprint Server September 19, 2022 Stanislav Rozov, Roosa Saarreharju, Stanislav Khirug et al. preprint
Inhaling 50% nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for one hour and a single low dose of ketamine both alter gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortex of adult mice, particularly affecting regulators of MAPK signaling pathways in pyramidal cells. Nitrous oxide produced much broader and more widespread changes in mRNA expression than ketamine. However, unlike ketamine, nitrous oxide did not increase the firing rate of putative pyramidal neurons or boost gamma brain wave activity. The findings suggest that while both substances share some molecular effects, their neural activity patterns differ markedly.