Inulin ameliorates chronic ketamine-induced anxiety-like behaviors and impairments in spatial learning and memory: involvement of gut microbiota, microbial metabolite short-chain fatty acids, and the BDNF-TrkB-ERK1/2-CREB pathway
Frontiers in Microbiology April 7, 2026 Zhilong Xu, Jie Zhang, Canrun Hu et al.
Chronic ketamine exposure for 28 days in an animal model disrupts gut microbiota, reduces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and BDNF signaling, damages neurons, and causes anxiety-like behaviors, prepulse inhibition deficits, and spatial learning and memory impairments. Dietary inulin reversed these gut microbiota changes, increased SCFAs, repaired gut barrier damage, and restored BDNF-TrkB-ERK1/2-CREB signaling, which improved the behavioral deficits. Inulin may be a promising candidate for treating chronic ketamine-associated behavioral symptoms and schizophrenia with dysbiosis.