Effects of ketamine on monoamine neurotransmitters and GABA in embryonic neurocytes from fetal rat

摘要

The effect of ketamine, a drug commonly used as an anesthetic, on monoaminergic neurotransmitters and GABA in neurocytes from fetal rats has not yet been elucidated. We thus decided to investigate these effects by first evaluating ketamine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid by high-performance liquid chromatography. We thus determined the concentrations of GABA, DA, NE, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA following the addition of four different concentrations of ketamine at day 7 of nerve cell culture. GABA, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA levels were increased after an initial decrease: they showed the lowest levels at 10-15 min and the highest peaks at 45-90 min, followed by a declining trend. On the other hand, the trends of DA and NE levels were opposite. These changes in neurotransmitter levels showed a significant impact on monoamine neurotransmitters and GABA, consistent with the clinical changes in anesthetized rats. The role of ketamine in anesthesia may be explained by the changing levels of these indicators. Ketamine may be involved in the inhibition of the production and storage of excitatory neurotransmitters and the promotion of the generation and storage of inhibitory neurotransmitters, exerting its anesthetic action by reducing messenger molecules and related enzyme activity.