Evidence from preclinical and clinical metabolomics studies on the antidepressant effects of ketamine and esketamine.
Neuroscience letters May 14, 2024 Daniele Cavaleri, Ilaria Riboldi, Cristina Crocamo et al. 13 citations
Ketamine and esketamine are known to relieve depression, but how they work at the molecular level remains unclear. This mini-review summarizes studies using metabolomics to examine metabolic changes after low-dose ketamine or esketamine in animals and humans. Both types of studies show alterations in pathways related to energy production (tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway), lipid and amino acid metabolism, the kynurenine pathway, and the urea cycle. These findings suggest the drugs influence mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, membrane maintenance, and cell signaling. Metabolomics may help uncover markers of treatment response and guide personalized depression care, though more research is needed to distinguish effects of the racemic drug from its enantiomers.