Anesthetic ketamine counteracts repetitive mechanical stress-induced learning and memory impairment in developing mice.
The aim of this study is to investigate whether ketamine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D: -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, had an influence on learning and memory in developing mice. Fifty Kunming mice aged 21 days were randomly divided into 5 subgroups (n = 10 for each) to receive intraperitoneal injection of equal volume of saline (S group) or ketamine (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg of body weight/day) for 7 consecutive days, or to be left untreated (C group). A step-down passive avoidance test was performed to evaluate learning and memory in these mice on days 8 and 9. Additionally, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus was determined. Rats receiving saline or sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine (25 mg/kg) showed significantly decreased abilities of learning and memory and reduced expression of BDNF, compared to the normal controls (P < 0.05). In contrast, comparable abilities of learning and memory and expression of BDNF were found for anesthetic doses of ketamine (50 or 100 mg/kg)-treated rats and controls (P > 0.05). Repetitive mechanical stress impairs learning and memory performance in developing mice, which may be associated with decreased BDNF expression. The stress-induced learning and memory impairment can be prevented by anesthetic doses of ketamine.
Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated No.4 Hospital of Soochow University, Wuxi 214062, China.
Sheng
S
Peng
Yan
Y
Zhang
Hua
H
Wang
Bingxu
B
Ren
Jiannan
J
Zhang
D000777:Anesthetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D000777:Anesthetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D007649:Ketamine