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Kai Zhang

16 papers in the library · 624 citations · publishing 2017-2025

Papers

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Correlations between major depressive disorder, splenic morphology, and immune function.

BMC Psychiatry May 12, 2025 Zouqing Lin, Xiaoyan Xu, Kai Zhang et al. 3 citations

To analyze the symptoms, courses, and severities of depressive disorder, as well as the morphological changes in the spleens and related immune mechanisms, we recruited patients with first-episode or recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) (patient group) and healthy controls (normal group) matched in age and gender. We measured their plasma MICB (pg/ml), ULBP1 (ng/ml), and splenic volume...

Effects of subanesthetic repeated esketamine infusions on memory function and NGF in patients with depression: An open-label study.

Journal of Affective Disorders January 15, 2025 Qiongyao Yang, Yitan Yao, Xiaoping Yuan et al. 3 citations

Subanesthetic ketamine is a rapidly acting antidepressant, yet the effects of ketamine on cognitive function are inconsistent. The primary objective of this study was to explore the effects of esketamine on memory function and plasma levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in patients with depression. A total of 132 patients with depression completed six intravenous esketamine infusions (0.4 mg/kg)...

Inflammatory cytokines, cortisol, and anhedonia in patients with treatment-resistant depression after consecutive infusions of low-dose esketamine.

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience September 28, 2024 Yue Wang, Qiongyao Yang, Chuanchuan Chen et al. 10 citations

Anhedonia, defined as a significant loss of interest or pleasure, is one of the core symptoms of treatment- resistant depression (TRD) and is often associated with poor prognosis. This article primarily investigates the changes in anhedonia symptoms, inflammatory markers, and cortisol levels in TRD patients after low-dose esketamine treatments. A total of sixty patients with TRD were enrolled...

Comparison Between Esketamine and Alfentanil for Hysteroscopy: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Drug Design, Development and Therapy 2024 Mengcao Weng, Dongdong Wang, Jia Zhong et al. 17 citations

This study aimed to establish the 95% effective dose (ED95) of esketamine in combination with propofol for hysteroscopy and then to evaluate its efficacy and safety profile. This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial consisted of two cohorts. In cohort 1, 45 women aged 18-65 years undergoing hysteroscopy were randomly assigned to either group E (esketamine + propofol) or group...

Associations between frequent nightmares, nightmare distress and depressive symptoms in adolescent psychiatric patients.

Sleep Medicine March 1, 2023 Z. Wang, Kai Zhang, Long He et al.

BACKGROUND Nightmares are common in patients with psychiatric disorders. Patients with psychiatric disorders often experience depressive symptoms. Nightmares have been associated with depressive symptoms among adolescents. Previous studies have explored the mediating role of nightmare distress in the relationship between frequent nightmares and depressive symptoms in the general adolescent...

Ketamine and its metabolites: Potential as novel treatments for depression.

Neuropharmacology October 1, 2022 Kai Zhang, Yitan Yao, Kenji Hashimoto 68 citations

Depression is a well-known serious mental illness, and the onset of treatment using traditional antidepressants is frequently delayed by several weeks. Moreover, numerous patients with depression fail to respond to therapy. One major breakthrough in antidepressant therapy is that subanesthetic ketamine doses can rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours of administering a single dose,...

Essential role of microglial transforming growth factor-β1 in antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine and the novel antidepressant TGF-β1

Translational Psychiatry January 27, 2020 Kai Zhang, Chun Yang, Lijia Chang et al. 120 citations

In rodent models of depression, (R)-ketamine has greater potency and longer-lasting antidepressant effects than (S)-ketamine; however, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine remain unknown. Using RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified novel molecular targets that contribute to the different antidepressant effects of the two enantiomers. Either...

Beneficial effects of (R)-ketamine, but not its metabolite (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine, in the depression-like phenotype, inflammatory bone markers, and bone mineral density in a chronic social defeat stress model.

Behavioural Brain Research August 1, 2019 Zhongwei Xiong, Yuko Fujita, Kai Zhang et al.

Inflammatory bone markers may play a role in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine in susceptible mice after chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). In this study, we compared the effects of (R)-ketamine and its final metabolite (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK) in depression-like phenotypes, inflammatory bone markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in CSDS susceptible mice. We measured plasma...

Comparison of antidepressant and side effects in mice after intranasal administration of (R,S)-ketamine, (R)-ketamine, and (S)-ketamine.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior June 1, 2019 Lijia Chang, Kai Zhang, Yaoyu Pu et al. 174 citations

The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (R,S)-ketamine produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients with depression although intranasal use of (R,S)-ketamine in ketamine abusers is popular. In March 5, 2019, nasal spray of (S)-ketamine for treatment-resistant depression was approved as a new antidepressant by the US Food Drug Administration....

An update on ketamine and its two enantiomers as rapid-acting antidepressants

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics December 4, 2018 Kai Zhang, Kenji Hashimoto 133 citations

Introduction: Depression is one of the most disabling diseases worldwide. Approximately one-third of depressed patients are treatment-resistant to the currently available antidepressants and there is a significant therapeutic time lag of weeks to months. There is a clear unmet need for rapid-acting and more efficacious treatments. (R,S)-ketamine, an old anesthetic drug, appears now to be going...

DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1554434 (opens in new tab) Ketamine Enantiomer Pharmacology Stereochemistry

Comparison of rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects of negative modulators of α5-containing GABAA receptors and (R)‑ketamine in a chronic social defeat stress model.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 2018 Zhongwei Xiong, Kai Zhang, Tamaki Ishima et al.

The negative allosteric modulators (NAMs: L-655,708 and MRK-016) of α5 subunit-containing GABAA receptors are reported to show rapid-acting antidepressant effects in rodents. However, there are no reports comparing these NAMs and (R)‑ketamine, (R)-enantiomer of the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine, in a chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model. Here we measured expression of α5 GABAA...

DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.10.005 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) R‑ketamine Antidepressant Negative allosteric modulators Postmortem brain +1

Lack of deuterium isotope effects in the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine in a chronic social defeat stress model.

Psychopharmacology November 2018 Kai Zhang, Hidetoh Toki, Yuko Fujita et al.

(R,S)-ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, exhibits rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects and anti-suicidal ideation in treatment-resistant patients with depression. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of (R,S)-ketamine are unknown. Although the previous report demonstrated the deuterium isotope effects in the antidepressant...

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5017-2 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) R-ketamine 2r,6r-hydroxynorketamine Deuterium isotope effect Metabolism

Lack of antidepressant effects of low-voltage-sensitive T-type calcium channel blocker ethosuximide in a chronic social defeat stress model: Comparison with (R)-ketamine

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology August 4, 2018 Z. Ryan Tian, Chao Dong, Kai Zhang et al. 18 citations

Background: A recent study demonstrated that low-voltage-sensitive T-type calcium channel blocker ethosuximide shows rapid antidepressant actions. This study was conducted to compare the antidepressant actions of ethosuximide and (R)-ketamine in a chronic social defeat stress model. Methods: Ethosuximide (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg), (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg), or saline was administered i.p. to...

Role of Inflammatory Bone Markers in the Antidepressant Actions of (R)-Ketamine in a Chronic Social Defeat Stress Model

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology July 17, 2018 Kai Zhang, Min Ma, Chao Dong et al. 30 citations

Background: A recent study demonstrated that inflammatory bone markers play a role in the antidepressant functions of (R,S)-ketamine in treatment-resistant patients with depression. We examined the effect of inflammatory bone markers in the antidepressant functions of (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine in a chronic social defeat stress model. Methods: Behavioral tests for antidepressant actions were...

Lack of metabolism in (R)-ketamine's antidepressant actions in a chronic social defeat stress model.

Scientific Reports March 5, 2018 Kai Zhang, Yuko Fujita, Kenji Hashimoto

Since the metabolism of (R,S)-ketamine to (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK) is reported to be essential for ketamine's antidepressant effects, there is an increasing debate about antidepressant effects of (2R,6R)-HNK. Using pharmacokinetic and behavioral techniques, we investigated whether intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of (R)-ketamine or (2R,6R)-HNK show antidepressant effects in a...

5-Hydroxytryptamine-Independent Antidepressant Actions of (R)-Ketamine in a Chronic Social Defeat Stress Model

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 15, 2017 Kai Zhang, Chao Dong, Yuko Fujita et al. 48 citations

Background: Previous reports suggest that 5-hydroxytryptamine might play a role in the antidepressant actions of (R,S)-ketamine. However, its role in the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine, which is more potent than (S)-ketamine, is unknown. This study was conducted to examine whether 5-hydroxytryptamine depletion affects the antidepressant actions of (R)-ketamine in a chronic social defeat...