Repeated Sub-anaesthetic dose of Ketamine Elevates Superoxide Dismutase in Pharmacological Model of Schizophrenia-Like Phenotypes in Mice
Usman Yusuf, Aderibigbe Oladele Adegbuyi, Fehintola Fatai Adewale preprint
Repeated sub-anaesthetic doses of ketamine (20 mg/kg) given to mice for 14 days increased movement and rearing in a locomotor activity test and prolonged the time to enter open arms in a cognitive test, compared to a vehicle control. Ketamine also elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in brain tissue. Pretreatment with risperidone (0.5 mg/kg) from days 8–14 appeared to reduce these effects. The results suggest that repeated ketamine may alter the endogenous antioxidant system, raising SOD activity as a possible compensatory mechanism in a rodent model of schizophrenia.