Neuroprotective Role of Ketamine in Reducing Neuroinflammation and Enhancing Neuroplasticity Against a Cortisol-Induced In Vitro Stress Model.
Molecular neurobiology June 5, 2025 Lucas Santos, Fernanda Dos Santos Petry, Carolina Saibro-Girardi et al. 4 citations
Cortisol, a stress hormone, damages neural-like cells by reducing their survival, increasing inflammatory gene activity (NF-κB and NLRP3), boosting production of reactive oxygen species, and impairing neuroplasticity—lowering BDNF expression and reducing neurite growth and neural connections. Ketamine prevented, attenuated, and reversed these cortisol-induced effects: it reduced inflammation and reactive species, increased BDNF expression, and promoted neurite growth and connectivity. Using an in vitro model, the work demonstrates that ketamine's mechanism of action includes reducing neuroinflammation and enhancing neuroplasticity, beyond its known NMDA receptor antagonism.