Authors: Jianjun Yang Zhiqiang Zhou Chun Yang
Publish Date: 2011/04/19
Volume: 215, Issue: 4, Pages: 813-813
Abstract
We read with great interest the recent article CD1 and Balb/cJ mice do not show enduring antidepressantlike effects of ketamine in tests of acute antidepressant efficacy by BechtholtGompf et al in press In that study the tail suspension test TST and forced swimming test FST were not sensitive to longlasting antidepressantlike effects of ketamine in mice We appreciate this study and would like to discuss an issue relevant to this articleThe authors administrated highdose ketamine to observe the behavioral changes in the FST and TST However the administration of ketamine 25 mg/kg induces an immediate behavioral activation characterized by hyperlocomotion stereotypies and ataxia in rats Razoux et al 2007 suggesting that ketamine exceeding 25 mg/kg tends to elicit schizophrenialike manifestations Similarly in that study the authors did not investigate the motor behavior before FST and TST Although a citation was provided by the authors in the discussion that the effective dose 10 50 mg/kg of ketamine instead of high dose did not affect general locomotor activity in either the plusmaze or the open field test Engin et al 2009 On the other hand lowdose ketamine was commonly used to investigate its antidepressant effect in experimental studies and was recommended to ameliorate the symptoms of patients with depression MachadoVieira et al 2009 Thus we assumed that highdose ketamine may be not very suitable to investigate its antidepressant effect
Keywords: