Nitrous Oxide Induces Prominent Cell Proliferation in Adult Rat Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus.
Frontiers in cellular neuroscience January 1, 2018 Farah Chamaa, Hisham F Bahmad, Ahmad-Kareem Makkawi et al.
Sub-anesthetic doses of nitrous oxide (N2O), an NMDA antagonist, increase hippocampal cell proliferation in adult male rats. Single exposure to 70% N2O with 30% oxygen led to a 1.4-fold increase in cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus after seven days compared to sham groups, while multiple exposures doubled the rate. Cell proliferation rates were comparable between N2O and sham groups at day one. The findings suggest that N2O, like ketamine, may ultimately enhance neurogenesis, pointing to potential antidepressant effects.