Toxicological Assessment of Ketamine in Juvenile Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Ketamine exposure significantly reduces locomotor activity in juvenile zebrafish, with stronger effects at higher concentrations. Using a high-throughput behavior tracking system, researchers analyzed the movement of 6-day post-fertilization zebrafish exposed to various ketamine concentrations. The study also detected normethketamine, ketamine's primary metabolite, via UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap HRMS, confirming that zebrafish can metabolize the drug. This integration of behavioral and metabolic profiling demonstrates zebrafish as a useful model for understanding ketamine's neurotoxic and metabolic effects, which may inform research in other vertebrates.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study investigates the toxic effects of ketamine on juvenile zebrafish, driven by increasing concerns over ketamine's prevalence and its potential neurotoxic effects that may disrupt behavior and metabolism. Employing a high-throughput behavior tracking system, the research analyzed the locomotor activity of 6-day post-fertilization (6 dpf) zebrafish exposed to various concentrations of ketamine. The integration of behavioral analysis with metabolic profiling was a notable innovation, as it establishes a comprehensive understanding of ketamine's effects on both acute behavioral inhibition and metabolic responses. The findings reveal that ketamine exposure significantly inhibits locomotor activity in juvenile zebrafish, with these effects becoming more pronounced at higher concentrations. Additionally, the detection of normethketamine, the primary metabolite of ketamine, using UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap HRMS, confirms the zebrafish's ability to metabolize the drug. This underscores the utility of zebrafish as a model organism for studying the impact of ketamine on behavior and metabolism, providing valuable insights that may extend to other vertebrates.