Single subanesthetic dose of ketamine exerts antioxidant and antidepressive-like effect in ACTH-induced preclinical model of depression.
Molecular and cellular neurosciences June 1, 2025 Ana Ivanović, Jelena Petrović, Dušanka Stanić et al. 3 citations
A single subanesthetic dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) reduced depressive-like behavior and oxidative stress in a rodent model of treatment-resistant depression induced by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH increased superoxide anion, advanced oxidation protein products, malondialdehyde, and total oxidant status, while decreasing superoxide dismutase and paraoxonase1 activity and increasing DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Ketamine reversed these effects, lowering oxidative markers and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity. The findings suggest ketamine's antidepressant action may involve antioxidant mechanisms, supporting further clinical research on its effects on reactive oxygen species metabolism and antioxidant defenses in depression.