Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Autonomic Modulation Caused by Chronic Use of Ketamine Hydrochloride Can Be Prevented by Aerobic Exercise Training in Wistar Rats.
Journal of clinical medicine October 24, 2025 Adriano Dos-Santos, Lucas Porto Fernandes Dos Santos, Gabriela Da Silva-Santos et al.
Chronic ketamine exposure in rats elevates systolic blood pressure and impairs baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability. Six weeks of treadmill-based aerobic training, performed three times per week alongside ketamine administration (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), attenuated these cardiovascular impairments. Trained rats receiving ketamine showed improved baroreflex sensitivity (bradycardic reflex: -1.3 ± 0.1) and preserved heart rate variability (total power: 38.9 ± 8.4) compared to sedentary ketamine-treated rats (bradycardic reflex: -0.7 ± 0.1; total power: 18.3 ± 2.1). The findings suggest aerobic exercise may serve as a non-pharmacological strategy to counteract ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity.