[Esketamine alleviates depression-like behaviors in mice with chronic restraint stress by activating glutamatergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex].
Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University March 20, 2026 Zhuoning Zhang, Xinyu Hao, Fuyang Cao et al.
Esketamine produces antidepressant effects in mice subjected to chronic restraint stress by activating glutamatergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. In a study of 150 male C57BL/6J mice, those treated with esketamine showed reduced immobility in tail suspension and forced swim tests and increased sucrose preference compared with saline-treated controls. Immunofluorescence staining indicated higher c-Fos expression in glutamatergic neurons after esketamine treatment. Chemogenetic activation of these neurons mimicked the antidepressant effects, while their inhibition blocked esketamine's benefits.