Low-dose S-ketamine exerts antidepressant-like effects via enhanced hippocampal synaptic plasticity in postpartum depression rats.
Zhuoyu Ren, Mingling Wang, Mokhtar Aldhabi, Rui Zhang, Yongxin Liu, Shaoyan Liu, Rundong Tang, Zuolei Chen
Neurobiology of Stress 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100422 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rat model of postpartum depression induced by reproductive hormone withdrawal |
| Intervention | S-ketamine |
| Dose | low-dose |
| Topics | Esketamine Neuroplasticity Depression Ketamine |
| Keywords | Electrophysiology Hippocampi Postpartum depression |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key points | Low-dose S-ketamine reduces depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and maintains hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a rat model of postpartum depression. |
Abstract
Rapid antidepressant effects of S-ketamine have repeatedly been confirmed in patients with depression, as well as in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) animal models. However, the pharmacological study of S-ketamine for anti-postpartum depression has not been considered. In this study, the classical method of reproductive hormone withdrawal was used to construct a rat model of postpartum depression (PPD). Subsequently, the study evaluated the effects of low-dose S-ketamine on behavior and synaptic plasticity, which is related to depression, in the hippocampus of PPD rats. Multiple behavioral tests were used to evaluate depression-like behaviors in PPD models. Synaptic plasticity of the hippocampus can be demonstrated by Western blot, Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, and electrophysiological recording. Our study provides insight into the role of low-dose S-ketamine in antidepressant as well as antianxiety and indicates that maintaining synaptic plasticity is a key target for S-ketamine therapy for postpartum depression induced by reproductive hormone withdrawal.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on esketamine for depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- The role of neurotrophic factors in novel, rapid psychiatric treatments. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024
- Shared effects of electroconvulsive shocks and ketamine on neuroplasticity: A systematic review of animal models of depression. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2024
- S-ketamine alleviates depression-like behavior and hippocampal neuroplasticity in the offspring of mice that experience prenatal stress. Scientific Reports November 6, 2024
- S-ketamine ameliorates post-stroke depression in mice via attenuation of neuroinflammation, synaptic restoration, and BDNF pathway activation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications July 8, 2025
- A systematic review of ketamine and esketamine-induced long-term potentiation and synaptic scaling: Do the molecular and synaptic plasticity effects inform dosing intervals? Journal of Affective Disorders April 15, 2026
and 11 more in the library
Cites 13
- mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Science August 19, 2010
- Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant Molecular Psychiatry March 13, 2018
- Glutamate Signaling in Synaptogenesis and NMDA Receptors as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Psychiatric Disorders Current Molecular Medicine May 4, 2015
- Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression in Adults: A Systematic Review Cureus August 21, 2021
- S-Ketamine Rapidly Reverses Synaptic and Vascular Deficits of Hippocampus in Genetic Animal Model of Depression The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 2, 2016
and 8 more in the library