Acute ketamine enhances social behavior and dendritic plasticity in the amygdala by increasing BDNF, GAP43, and TRKB presence following excitotoxic neonatal ibotenic acid lesion.
Nestor I Martínez-Torres, Jhonathan Cárdenas-Bedoya, Blanca Miriam Torres-Mendoza
Neurochemistry International July 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2025.106016 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical model Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Male Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 15 mg/kg |
| Topics | Ketamine Neuroplasticity Esketamine |
| Keywords | Bdnf Gap43 Trkb Ketamine ketamine Single dose Improved Alleviate Treatment engagement Social behavior Social deficits Overcoming social isolation Proteins Schizophrenia schizophrenia |
| Key points | Acute ketamine treatment rescued social behavior, increased dendritic tree complexity, and elevated BDNF, TRKB, and GAP43 protein presence in a rat model of schizophrenia-related social deficits. |
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a highly disabling psychopathology that is a significant burden on public health systems and is characterized by both positive and negative symptoms. One of these negative symptoms is social isolation, which responds poorly to available treatments. Ketamine (KET) has been shown to enhance social behavior in various preclinical models, accompanied by neurobiological changes. In this study, we used a preclinical model of schizophrenia involving neonatal ventral hippocampal (NVHL) bilateral lesions induced by excitotoxicity with ibotenic acid (IA) at postnatal day 7 (PD). Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 PD, were assigned to one of the following groups: Intact, Sham, Intact + KET, IA + Saline, and IA + KET, with n = 6 per group. Rats in the Sham, IA + Saline, and IA + KET groups underwent stereotaxic surgery and were administered with either 0.3 % saline or IA at 7 PD. At 35 PD, the rats received either saline or ketamine (15 mg/kg) and were assessed using the three-chamber social test. A Golgi-modified technique was then employed to evaluate neuronal changes in the amygdala with Sholl analysis. Also, immunohistochemistry was conducted to measure brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine receptor kinase B (TRKB), and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43). Acute KET treatment rescued social behavior, increased dendritic tree complexity, and elevated BDNF, TRKB, and GAP43 protein presence. Our results suggest that acute sub-anesthetic administration of KET may help alleviate social isolation symptoms. This dose could provide a window of opportunity to encourage individuals with schizophrenia to initiate and continue their treatment.
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
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- Acute administration of ketamine induces antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming test and increases BDNF levels in the rat hippocampus. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 1, 2008