R-(-)-ketamine modifies behavioral effects of morphine predicting efficacy as a novel therapy for opioid use disorder.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior April 22, 2020 J. Witkin, J. Kranzler, K. Kaniecki et al. 33 citations
The (R)-ketamine enantiomer may offer a safer treatment for substance abuse disorder by reducing withdrawal symptoms and drug-seeking behavior without causing negative mood or anhedonia. In experiments with morphine-dependent rats, (R)-ketamine alleviated withdrawal signs and blocked morphine-induced place preference in mice without producing place preference itself. Unlike S-ketamine, (R)-ketamine did not induce anhedonia in rats. These findings suggest (R)-ketamine could dampen withdrawal and drug liking without the dissociative or mood-related side effects that limit current therapies, supporting further preclinical and clinical investigation.