Quercetin protects the myocardium from the effects of ketamine
А.о. Mykytenko, V.о. Ponomarenko, V.а. Yakobenchuk, А.і. Zborovska, О.ye. Akimov, К.s. Neporada
The Journal of V N Karazin Kharkiv National University series Medicine October 31, 2025 DOI: 10.26565/2313-6693-2025-56-09 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | White sexually mature male rats |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | Corvitin 5.2 mg/100 g intraperitoneally; Ketamine 60 mg/kg intraperitoneally every 10 min for 3 hours (19 injections) |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Peroxynitrite Cardiotoxicity Quercetin Pharmacology Superoxide dismutase Oxidative stress Nitric oxide Catalase Nmda receptor |
| Key findings | Quercetin pretreatment reduced markers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the myocardium of rats with ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity. |
Abstract
Background. The water soluble form of quercetin, corvitin, may potentially be useful for preventing complications of short-term ketamine analgesia in children and adults, as well as preventing myocardial damage in the treatment of depression and post- traumatic stress disorder. Purpose – was to determine the effect of quercetin on the myocardium of rats under conditions of ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity. Materials and Methods. Experiments were performed on 24 white sexually mature male rats. The animals were divided into 4 groups: control; rats that were injected with corvitin intraperitoneally at a dose of 5.2 mg/100 g; rats that were injected with ketamine intraperitoneally at a dose of 60 mg/kg with an interval of every 10 min for 3 hours (19 injections) and a group of animals that were injected with corvitin before ketamine administration. Results. The administration of quercetin 10 min before modeling ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity led to a decrease in total NO-synthase activity in the rat myocardium by 1.48 times, inducible NO-synthase activity by 1.5 times, arginase by 1.21 times, peroxynitrite content by 1.44 times, nitrite by 1.67 times, superoxide anion radical production by 1.53 times, catalase activity by 1.06 times, malone dialdegyde content by 1.68 times, diene conjugates by 1.2 times, triene conjugates by 1.19 times, octadiene conjugates by 1.59 times, free L-hydroxyproline by 1.16 times and sulfide anion by 1.15 times and an increase in superoxide dismutase activity by 1.13 times and nitrosothiols content by 1.54 times. compared to the group of rats in which ketamine- induced cardiotoxicity was simulated (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Administration of the bioflavonoid quercetin against the background of ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity prevents cardiomyocyte damage by activating antioxidant defense in the myocardium and reducing the production of oxygen and nitrogen free radicals, which prevents lipid peroxidation and collagenolysis, normalizing the functioning of the nitric oxide cycle.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Rats | 2010 | Observational study | |
| Activation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission by Ketamine: A Novel Step in the Pathway from NMDA Receptor Blockade to Dopaminergic and Cognitive Disruptions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex Conscious rats | 1997 | Dose-response study with microdialysis and behavioral testing | |
| NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Mice | 2016 | Preclinical study | |
| The dissociative anaesthetics, ketamine and phencyclidine, selectively reduce excitation of central mammalian neurones by N‐methyl‐aspartate Spinal neurons in decerebrate or pentobarbitone-anaesthetized cats and rats | 1983 | Experimental study | |
| R-ketamine: a rapid-onset and sustained antidepressant without psychotomimetic side effects Mice | 2015 | Experimental study |