Toxicological Assessment of Ketamine in Juvenile Zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Yin Tang, Kang Yang, Jintao Xu, Yangkai Qiu, Liang Meng, Sen Zhao
Toxics January 24, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/toxics13020082 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Juvenile zebrafish (6 days post-fertilization) |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Uplc-ltq/orbitrap hrms Zebrafish Drug toxicity Pharmaceutical safety Neurobehavior Animal behavior Animal models Model organisms |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Ketamine exposure inhibits locomotor activity in juvenile zebrafish in a concentration-dependent manner, and zebrafish metabolize ketamine to normethketamine. |
Abstract
This study investigates the toxic effects of ketamine on juvenile zebrafish, driven by increasing concerns over ketamine's prevalence and its potential neurotoxic effects that may disrupt behavior and metabolism. Employing a high-throughput behavior tracking system, the research analyzed the locomotor activity of 6-day post-fertilization (6 dpf) zebrafish exposed to various concentrations of ketamine. The integration of behavioral analysis with metabolic profiling was a notable innovation, as it establishes a comprehensive understanding of ketamine's effects on both acute behavioral inhibition and metabolic responses. The findings reveal that ketamine exposure significantly inhibits locomotor activity in juvenile zebrafish, with these effects becoming more pronounced at higher concentrations. Additionally, the detection of normethketamine, the primary metabolite of ketamine, using UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap HRMS, confirms the zebrafish's ability to metabolize the drug. This underscores the utility of zebrafish as a model organism for studying the impact of ketamine on behavior and metabolism, providing valuable insights that may extend to other vertebrates.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- The dissociative and analgesic properties of ketamine are independent Anesthesiology September 4, 2020
- 5-Methoxy-α-methyltryptamine (5-MeO-AMT), a tryptamine derivative, induces head-twitch responses in mice through the activation of serotonin receptor 2a in the prefrontal cortex. Behavioural Brain Research February 1, 2019
- Antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of ketamine on the functional connectivity of prefrontal cortex-related circuits in treatment-resistant depression: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, longitudinal resting fMRI study. Journal of Affective Disorders December 1, 2019
- A behavioral and molecular analysis of ketamine in zebrafish. Synapse February 2011