Ketamine may exert rapid antidepressant effects through modulation of neuroplasticity, autophagy, and ferroptosis in the habenular nucleus.
Neuroscience October 1, 2022 Mengke Zhang, Dongbin Lyu, Fan Wang et al.
Ketamine may rapidly relieve depression by improving neuroplasticity, activating autophagy, and inhibiting ferroptosis in the habenular nucleus. In rats subjected to chronic restraint stress, depression-like behaviors improved after ketamine treatment. The treatment increased autophagy-related proteins and reduced markers of ferroptosis, while enhancing neural plasticity in the habenular nucleus. These findings suggest a mechanism for ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects.