Activation and blockade of dorsal hippocampal serotonin4 receptors produce antidepressant effects in the hemiparkinsonian rats

Background & Objective: Depression, a risk factor for several serious diseases, is a highly prevalent and life-threatening psychiatric disorder. It can affect the individual’s position in life and reduce the living standards. The research on the use of medicinal plants in treating this disease has increased enormously because of the possible low rehabilitation rate and side effects of available synthetic drugs, such as sexual dysfunction, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, hypersomnia, and weight gain.Conclusion:Therefore, this review aimed to draw attention to the antidepressant effects of culinary herbs and traditional medicinal plants and their active components, thereby promoting their use in the development of more potent antidepressants with improved side effect profile.

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Letter to the editor: Are ketamine-induced subjective bodily experiences associated with antidepressant effects? A sensation of floating and a sensation of lightness are not the same – a comment on Acevedo-Diaz et al.

Journal of Psychiatric Research ◽

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.03.017 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

K. Stocker ◽

G. Hasler ◽

M. Hartmann

Keyword(s):

Letter To The Editor ◽

Antidepressant Effects ◽

Bodily Experiences

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Immunoregulation and antidepressant effect of ketamine

Translational Neuroscience ◽

10.1515/tnsci-2020-0167 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 218-236

Author(s):

Nan Zhang ◽

Lihua Yao ◽

Peilin Wang ◽

Zhongchun Liu

Keyword(s):

Disease Burden ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Mental Health Disorder ◽

Antagonistic Effect ◽

Antidepressant Effect ◽

Future Research ◽

Recurrence Rates ◽

Aspartate Receptor ◽

Antidepressant Effects ◽

Common Mental Health Disorder

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental health disorder that brings severe disease burden worldwide. Traditional antidepressants are mainly targeted at monoamine neurotransmitters, with low remission rates and high recurrence rates. Ketamine is a noncompetitive glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, and its rapid and powerful antidepressant effects have come to light. Its antidepressant mechanism is still unclarified. Research found that ketamine had not only antagonistic effect on NMDAR but also strong immunomodulatory effect, both of which were closely related to the pathophysiology of MDD. Although there are many related studies, they are relatively heterogeneous. Therefore, this review mainly describes the immune mechanisms involved in MDD and how ketamine plays an antidepressant role by regulating peripheral and central immune system, including peripheral inflammatory cytokines, central microglia, and astrocytes. This review summarizes the related research, finds out the deficiencies of current research, and provides ideas for future research and the development of novel antidepressants.

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Ketamine—50 years in use: from anesthesia to rapid antidepressant effects and neurobiological mechanisms

Pharmacological Reports ◽

10.1007/s43440-021-00232-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 323-345

Author(s):

Samuel Kohtala

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Stress ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Active Metabolites ◽

The Past ◽

Antidepressant Effects ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Pharmacologically Active ◽

Dose Dependent ◽

Different Doses

AbstractOver the past 50 years, ketamine has solidified its position in both human and veterinary medicine as an important anesthetic with many uses. More recently, ketamine has been studied and used for several new indications, ranging from chronic pain to drug addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. The discovery of the rapid-acting antidepressant effects of ketamine has resulted in a surge of interest towards understanding the precise mechanisms driving its effects. Indeed, ketamine may have had the largest impact for advancements in the research and treatment of psychiatric disorders in the past few decades. While intense research efforts have been aimed towards uncovering the molecular targets underlying ketamine’s effects in treating depression, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. These efforts are made more difficult by ketamine’s complex dose-dependent effects on molecular mechanisms, multiple pharmacologically active metabolites, and a mechanism of action associated with the facilitation of synaptic plasticity. This review aims to provide a brief overview of the different uses of ketamine, with an emphasis on examining ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects spanning molecular, cellular, and network levels. Another focus of the review is to offer a perspective on studies related to the different doses of ketamine used in antidepressant research. Finally, the review discusses some of the latest hypotheses concerning ketamine’s action.

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