Pharmaceuticals
December 21, 2023
Katarina Savić Vujović, Ana Jotić, Branislava Medić et al.
32 citations
Ketamine is an old drug with new clinical uses beyond anesthesia and pain relief, including treatment for asthma, epilepsy, depression, bipolar disorder, and addiction to alcohol and heroin. It works mainly as a noncompetitive blocker of the NMDA receptor, though its full mechanism is complex. Low doses and short-term use are generally safe and cause few side effects. However, ketamine is also a powerful psychostimulant and has become a commonly abused drug over the past decade.
Ketamine
January 1, 2025
Katarina Savić Vujović, Ana Jotić, Branislava Medić et al.
1 citation
Ketamine shows promise as a treatment for alcohol, opioid, and cocaine use disorders by reducing cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse rates. Its effects stem from N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism, rapid-acting antidepressant properties, and ability to modulate glutamatergic transmission and promote neural plasticity. Challenges remain regarding optimal dosing, long-term safety, and abuse potential. Further rigorous clinical trials are needed to establish ketamine's role as an adjunctive therapy in addiction treatment.
Brain Sciences
February 4, 2026
Katarina Savić Vujović, Sonja Vučković, Lara Samardžić et al.
Ketamine and a ketamine-magnesium sulfate combination lower body temperature in rats through serotonergic and adrenergic mechanisms, but not through GABAA receptors. Giving yohimbine, an α2-adrenergic blocker, deepened ketamine-induced hypothermia at doses of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg, while only the highest dose (3 mg/kg) enhanced the combination's effect. Methysergide, a serotonin blocker, had opposite effects depending on dose: 1 mg/kg worsened ketamine hypothermia, whereas 0.5 mg/kg reduced the combination's cooling effect. Bicuculline, a GABAA antagonist, did not change hypothermia from either treatment. These findings clarify neurotransmitter pathways involved in NMDA antagonist-related thermoregulation.