Administration of low dose intranasal ketamine exerts a neuroprotective effect on whole brain irradiation injury model in wistar rats.
Radiation and environmental biophysics August 1, 2024 Gökhan Yaprak, Nilsu Çini, Özüm Büke Atasoy et al. 3 citations
In a rat model of radiation-induced brain injury, ketamine treatment protected against neurocognitive impairments. Rats receiving whole-brain irradiation plus ketamine performed better on sociability, open field, and passive avoidance tests than irradiated rats given saline. Ketamine also increased neuron counts in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions and in Purkinje cells, raised levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor tyrosine receptor kinase-B, and reduced markers of neuroinflammation (glial fibrillary acidic protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde). The findings suggest ketamine protects against neurodegeneration by regulating the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway, reducing neuroinflammation, and blocking NMDA receptors.