Combined Low Dose of Ketamine and Social Isolation: A Possible Model of Induced Chronic Schizophrenia-Like Symptoms in Male Albino Rats
Brain Science July 1, 2021 Suzanne Estaphan, A. Curpan, D. Khalifa et al.
Combining ketamine with social isolation in male albino rats produced long-lasting schizophrenia-like behaviors and brain oxidative stress, offering a potential animal model for chronic schizophrenia that mimics both positive and negative symptoms. Compared to controls and ketamine with social housing, the ketamine-plus-isolation group showed significantly fewer line crossings in the open field test, fewer open arm entries in the elevated plus maze, and lower spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze. It also increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels in the hippocampus and cortex. Adding the antipsychotic aripiprazole reduced these schizophrenia-like symptoms, supporting the model's validity.