Effects of ketamine on experimental animal models of aggression.
The dose-response effects of ketamine, an intravenous anesthetic with psychotomimetic properties which is a ketone derivative of phencyclidine, were evaluated in several experimental animal models of aggression. Low doses of ketamine (3 and 5 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally showed a tendency to increase aggressiveness in REM sleep-deprived, food-deprived + apomorphine (20 mg/kg) pretreated rats, and in socially isolated mice. Ketamine (10 mg/kg) blocked aggressive behavior in food-deprived, apomorphine-pretreated rats probably because of locomotor activity impairment. Ketamine (3, 5 or 10 mg/kg) did not induce mouse-killing behavior in non-muricide rats. However, ketamine inhibited predatory aggression of muricide rats at a dose which did not affect ambulation (3 mg/kg). These data show that ketamine, like phencyclidine, has different effects on aggressive behavior which depend on the experimental model used.
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012892:Sleep Deprivation; D012934:Social Isolation
D007649:Ketamine; D001058:Apomorphine