Scientific Reports
June 5, 2017
Ze-Min Xie, Xingming Wang, Ning Xu et al.
69 citations
Rats with neuropathic pain that also developed depression-like behaviors had higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and interleukin-6) and an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, along with lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex, compared to rats without depression-like behaviors and sham-operated controls. A single dose of ketamine reversed both the depression-like behaviors and the elevated serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6. These findings suggest that changes in inflammatory cytokines and BDNF may underlie depression caused by neuropathic pain, and that serum cytokines could serve as biomarkers for ketamine's antidepressant effects.
European journal of anaesthesiology
January 29, 2026
Tiantian Chu, Xiaoling Peng, Keliang Wan et al.
2 citations
A single dose of esketamine given intravenously around the time of cesarean section, followed by 24 hours of low-dose esketamine in patient-controlled pain relief, reduced the overall incidence of postpartum depression within three months after childbirth in first-time mothers who were not already depressed. The total rate of postpartum depression was 11.59% in the esketamine group versus 20.89% in the saline control group. The benefit was most evident at 7 days postpartum, with no significant differences at 1, 2, or 3 months individually. Mild side effects like dizziness, hallucination, and dissociation occurred in some women. The treatment appears relatively safe and prevents postpartum depression in the short term.
Zhonghua xingwei yixue yu naokexue zazhi
September 20, 2012
Guang-Fen Zhang, Nan Wang, Jinyun Shi et al.
In rats subjected to the forced swimming test, ketamine at 10 mg/kg reduced immobility time, an indicator of antidepressant-like effect, and lowered hippocampal nitric oxide (NO) levels. The NO precursor L-arginine increased NO and blocked ketamine's behavioral effect, while the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME enhanced the effect of a low ketamine dose (3 mg/kg) and also reduced NO. These findings suggest that ketamine's antidepressant action involves suppression of the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway.