Ketamine is a racemic mixture composed of two enantiomers, S-ketamine and R-ketamine. In preclinical studies, both enantiomers have exhibited antidepressant effects, but these effects are attributed to distinct pharmacological activities. The S-enantiomer acts as an NMDA-channel blocker and as an opioid μ-receptor agonist, whereas the R-enantiomer binds to σ1-receptors and is believed to act as...
Depression is a major public health concern. Unfortunately, the present antidepressants often are insufficiently effective, whilst the discovery of more effective antidepressants has been extremely sluggish. The objective of this review was to combine the literature on depression with the pharmacology of antidepressant compounds, in order to formulate a conceivable pathophysiological process,...