Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
October 15, 2025
Zihe Yang, Linjie Li, Bin Deng et al.
3 citations
After intranasal administration in rats, ketamine rapidly enters the bloodstream, reaching a peak concentration of 8002 ng/mL within about 5 minutes, then declines to near zero by about 3 hours, with a half-life of 27 minutes. Tissue analysis shows the highest ketamine levels in the kidneys, followed by the liver. Within the brain, ketamine concentrates most in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, with lower amounts in the striatum and prefrontal cortex. These findings clarify how ketamine distributes throughout the body and brain after intranasal delivery, providing a basis for understanding its clinical use in treating depression.
BMC pharmacology & toxicology
August 29, 2025
Bin Deng, Zhiwen Fu, Linjie Li et al.
3 citations
Older adults (65 years or older) treated with esketamine experience a higher risk of severe psychiatric and general adverse events compared to younger adults. Analysis of FDA Adverse Event Reporting System data from 2019 to 2024, covering 536 reports from older adults and 3,566 from younger adults, found that older adults had a higher incidence of dissociation, suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. They also reported more general and administration site conditions, indicating greater susceptibility to systemic and local reactions. Gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders were less frequent in older adults, but their potential impact remains critical. These findings highlight the need for careful patient selection, monitoring, and tailored treatment protocols for older adults receiving esketamine.
European journal of pharmacology
July 19, 2026
Yongning Lv, Zihe Yang, Linjie Li et al.
Intranasal ketamine given twice weekly for two weeks to rats exposed to chronic stress improved depressive-like behaviors, restored hypothalamic neuronal structure, increased synaptic density, and enhanced mitochondrial ultrastructure. RNA sequencing and molecular validation identified increased expression of Ndufa10, a gene encoding a mitochondrial complex I subunit, and its protein NDUFA10 in the hypothalamus. Blocking mitochondrial complex I with rotenone reduced these behavioral and molecular effects, suggesting that mitochondrial complex I activity contributes to ketamine's antidepressant-like actions. α-Synuclein protein changed in parallel without corresponding mRNA changes, indicating a post-transcriptional alteration.