Neuronal glutamatergic changes and peripheral markers of cytoskeleton dynamics change synchronically 24 h after sub-anaesthetic dose of ketamine in healthy subjects

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2019-02, Vol.359, p.312-319
• Main Authors: Colic, Lejla, McDonnell, Conor, Li, Meng, Woelfer, Marie, Liebe, Thomas, Kretzschmar, Moritz, Speck, Oliver, Schott, Björn H., Bianchi, Massimiliano, Walter, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acet-Tub; Blood markers; Gender specificity; Glutamatergic system; Ketamine
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.021

•PgACC glutamatergic and peripheral Acet-Tub/TRF changes are neg. correlated 24h after ketamine infusion in healthy subjects.•Gender has influence on basal levels and relative change of Acet-Tub/TRF post- ketamine infusion.•Glutamate change 24h post- ketamine infusion is gender unspecific. Ketamine acts as a rapid–acting antidepressant by restoring glutamatergic deficits and activating synaptic plasticity processes, with peak activity 24 h after infusion. Microtubule dynamics are known to play a key role in modulation of cytoskeleton and synaptic plasticity, as well as in signalling events in peripheral blood cells. Here, we correlated ketamine-induced change in glutamate/creatinine (Glu/Cr) levels in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) with peripheral markers of microtubule dynamics, namely acetylated α-tubulin (Acet-Tub), with particular attention to gender specificity. Eighty healthy controls (age = 25.89 ± 5.29, 33 women) were administered intravenous infusion of either ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo (saline). Blood samples were obtained at baseline and 24 h after infusion and plasma levels of Acet-Tub and transferrin (TRF; loading control) were measured via infrared western blotting. Glu/Cr levels were measured via high-field (7 T) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy [1H-MRS] in the pgACC at the same time points. Gender differences were observed in baseline Acet–Tub/TRF levels (p