Skip to content

Alterations in the inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor contribute to depression-like phenotype after spared nerve injury: improvement by ketamine

Ze-Min Xie, Xingming Wang, Ning Xu, Jing Wang, Wei Pan, Xiao-Hui Tang, Zhiqiang Zhou, Kenji Hashimoto, Jianjun Yang

Scientific Reports June 5, 2017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03590-3 (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text
Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Population Rats (Sprague-Dawley) subjected to spared nerve ligation or sham surgery
Intervention Ketamine
Dose a single dose
Topics Ketamine Depression Esketamine
Keywords Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Sni Neurotrophic factors Depression economics Antidepressant Neuropathic pain Proinflammatory cytokine Nerve injury Endocrinology Phenotype Hippocampus Inflammation Anesthesia Receptor
Citations 69
Key findings Rats with neuropathic pain and depression-like phenotype showed elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduced BDNF in the prefrontal cortex, and a single dose of ketamine normalized both the depression-like behaviors and the elevated serum cytokines.

Abstract

Although pain is frequently accompanied with depression, little is known about the risk factors contributing to individual differences to the comorbidity of pain and depression. In this study, we examined whether cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) might contribute to the individual differences in the development of neuropathic pain-induced depression. Rats were randomly subjected to spared nerved ligation (SNI) or sham surgery. The SNI rats were divided into two groups by the data from depression-related behavioral tests. Rats with depression-like phenotype displayed higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6) as well as imbalance of pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines compared with rats without depression-like phenotype and sham-operated rats. Levels of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex of rats with depression-like phenotype were lower than those of rats without depression-like phenotype and sham-operated rats. A single dose of ketamine ameliorated depression-like behaviors in the rats with depression-like phenotype. Interestingly, higher serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the rat with depression-like phenotype were normalized after a single dose of ketamine. These findings suggest that alterations in the inflammatory cytokines and BDNF might contribute to neuropathic pain-induced depression, and that serum cytokines may be predictable biomarkers for ketamine's antidepressant actions.

Comparable studies

Other preclinical and animal studies on ketamine for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psychedelics, but Not Ketamine, Produce Persistent Antidepressant-like Effects in a Rodent Experimental System for the Study of Depression Rats 2020 Preclinical study
A Single Subanesthetic Dose of Ketamine Relieves Depression-like Behaviors Induced by Neuropathic Pain in Rats Rats with spared nerve injury (neuropathic pain model), sham-operated rats, and control... 2011 Animal experimental study
Comparison of (R)-ketamine and lanicemine on depression-like phenotype and abnormal composition of gut microbiota in a social defeat stress model Susceptible mice after chronic social defeat stress 2017 Preclinical animal study
Comparison of R-ketamine and rapastinel antidepressant effects in the social defeat stress model of depression Susceptible mice in the social defeat stress model 2016 Animal experimental study
Ketamine and its metabolite, (2R,6R)-HNK, restore hippocampal LTP and long-term spatial memory in the Wistar-Kyoto rat model of depression Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and Wistar control rats 2020 Preclinical study

Citations in the library

Cited by 13

and 8 more in the library

Cites 8

and 3 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Ketamine Depression Esketamine

By condition and practice

Ketamine for depression