Aromatase inhibition and ketamine in rats: sex-differences in antidepressant-like efficacy
Biology of Sex Differences October 24, 2023 S. Ledesma-Corvi, J. Jornet-Plaza, M. García-Fuster
Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant recently approved for treatment-resistant depression, shows sex differences in efficacy. In adult Sprague-Dawley rats, ketamine (5 mg/kg, 7 days) produced antidepressant-like effects in males but not in females. Inhibiting estrogen synthesis with letrozole (1 mg/kg, 8 days) induced an antidepressant-like response in females and accelerated ketamine's effect in males (after a single dose). Both ketamine's effect in males and letrozole's effect in females persisted up to 65 days post-treatment, suggesting long-term, sex-specific benefits.