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Repeated administration of ketamine may lead to neuronal degeneration in the developing rat brain
Author(s) -
HAYASHI HIDEAKI,
DIKKES PIETER,
SORIANO SULPICIO G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pediatric anesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.704
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1460-9592
pISSN - 1155-5645
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2002.00883.x
Subject(s) - ketamine , medicine , saline , antagonist , degeneration (medical) , nmda receptor , in vivo , pharmacology , anesthesia , brain damage , intraperitoneal injection , neurotoxicity , toxicity , receptor , pathology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Background : This study was conducted to investigate, in vivo , the dose and duration effects of ketamine administration on neuronal degeneration in the developing rat brain. Methods : Seven‐day‐old (P7) Sprague‐Dawley rats were treated with intraperitoneal injections of ketamine, a noncompetitive N ‐methyl‐ D ‐aspartate receptor antagonist. Degenerating neurones were identified by the cupric‐silver stain from 10 brain regions using the stereological disector method. Results : A single dose of ketamine (25, 50 and 75 mg·kg –1 ) did not increase neuronal degeneration compared with the saline‐treated control. However, repeated doses of ketamine (25 mg·kg –1 ) at 90‐min intervals over 9 h increased degenerating neurones in seven out of 10 brain regions. Conclusions : These findings suggest that the duration of ketamine exposure correlates with increased neuronal degeneration in the developing rat brain.