Ketamine modulates aggressive behavior in adult zebrafish.
Paula Michelotti, Vanessa A Quadros, Maria E Pereira, Denis B Rosemberg
Neuroscience Letters September 25, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.08.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult zebrafish |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 2, 20, and 40 mg/L |
| Duration | 20-minute acute exposure |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Aggressive behavior Psychotomimetic drugs Stereotypic behaviors Zebrafish |
| Key findings | Ketamine altered aggression in adult zebrafish dose-dependently: 2 mg/L increased aggression-related phenotypes, whereas 20 and 40 mg/L reduced aggression and elicited stereotypic behaviors, with hyperlocomotion, altered motor patterns, and increased circling at 40 mg/L. The authors argue this supports zebrafish as a model for studying sub-anesthetic ketamine effects on aggression in translational neuropsychiatric research. |
Abstract
Ketamine is a non-competitive glutamatergic antagonist that induces analgesia and anesthesia. Although ketamine displays anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, it may induce pro-psychosis and hallucinogen effects, as well as stereotypic behaviors following acute administration at sub-anesthetic doses. Since heightened aggression is maladaptive and may comorbid with various neuropsychiatric disorders, we aimed to investigate whether ketamine modulates aggressive behavior in adult zebrafish. Fish were acutely exposed to 2, 20, and 40 mg/L ketamine for 20 min and their locomotion, exploratory activity, and aggression towards mirror were further assessed. Ketamine (2 mg/L) increased aggression-related phenotypes, while 20 and 40 mg/L reduced aggression and elicited stereotypic behaviors by causing hyperlocomotion, altering motor patterns, and increasing circling behavior at the higher concentration tested. Collectively, our data expand the utility of zebrafish models to investigate the influence of sub-anesthetic concentrations of ketamine on aggression behavior domain in translational neuropsychiatric research field.
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
Cited by 7
- Ketamine modulates the exploratory dynamics and homebase-related behaviors of adult zebrafish. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 1, 2024
- New Psychoactive Substance Esketamine Causes Endocrine-Disrupting Effects and Developmental Toxicity. Environmental Science & Technology May 6, 2025
- Ketamine-induced NMDA receptor hypofunction alters social and locomotor behavior in adult zebrafish bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 17, 2025
- A ketamine/methionine exposure paradigm, alone or combined with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, assessing schizophrenia-relevant behavioral, oxidative stress, and molecular endpoints in adult zebrafish. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol July 23, 2026
- Promises and Pitfalls of NMDA Receptor Antagonists in Treating Violent Aggression. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience June 21, 2022
and 2 more in the library
Cites 9
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1994
- Comparative and Interactive Human Psychopharmacologic Effects of Ketamine and Amphetamine Archives of General Psychiatry September 1, 2005
- Effects of hallucinogenic agents mescaline and phencyclidine on zebrafish behavior and physiology Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 10, 2012
- Exploring Hallucinogen Pharmacology and Psychedelic Medicine with Zebrafish Models Zebrafish March 22, 2016
and 4 more in the library