The monoaminergic pathways and inhibition of monoamine transporters interfere with the antidepressive-like behavior of ketamine
IBRO Reports June 13, 2018 Glauce Socorro de Barros Viana, Cecilia Coelho Xavier, Eduardo Mulato Do Vale et al. 10 citations
Ketamine, a drug that blocks NMDA receptors, produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in male mice, reducing immobility in a forced swimming test. At a high dose (10 mg/kg), it increased dopamine and serotonin levels in the striatum, along with dopamine metabolites DOPAC and HVA. These changes were linked to increased tyrosine hydroxylase and decreased dopamine and serotonin transporter immunoreactivities in the striatum and hippocampus. The findings suggest ketamine's antidepressant action involves enhancement of monoamine pathways, particularly by raising dopamine and serotonin availability through effects on their synthesizing enzyme and transporters.