title: Oral S(+)-ketamine does not change visceral perception in health.
abstract: Application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonists may hold promise for the treatment of visceral pain. In this study we evaluated the effect of oral S(+)-ketamine (sKET), a non-competitive NMDA-receptor antagonist, on visceral sensitivity in healthy volunteers. Eight healthy volunteers (five male, three female) underwent a gastric barostat study following oral administration of placebo, 25 mg sKET, and 50 mg sKET. Studies were performed in a double-blind randomized crossover fashion. Sensations evoked by stepwise isobaric distension (2 mm Hg/2 min) were scored on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. In addition, fasting and postprandial fundic volume were measured at a fixed pressure level (MDP + 2 mm Hg). During gastric distension, sKET did not alter sensation scores for bloating, nausea, satiation, and pain compared to placebo. sKET had also no effects on the thresholds for pain/discomfort, fundic wall compliance, fundic tone, or meal-induced fundic relaxation. sKET does not reduce visceral perception or gastric motility in healthy volunteers. The role of sKET in conditions characterized by visceral hypersensitivity needs to be studied further.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sjoerd D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.forename: Sake J Th
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Guido N J
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Tytgat
authors.forename: Guy E E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Boeckxstaens
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D013271:Gastric Dilatation; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D007649:Ketamine