NMDA receptors antagonists alleviated the acute phase of traumatic brain injury.
Iranian journal of basic medical sciences January 1, 2025 Mehrdad Hajinejad, Ahmadreza Gharaeian Morshed, Abdolreza Narouiepour et al. 1 citation
In a rat model of traumatic brain injury, two NMDA receptor antagonists, memantine and ketamine, each reduced aspects of brain damage. Memantine lowered a marker of oxidative damage (MDA), raised antioxidant levels (SOD and total thiol), and suppressed both astrogliosis and the TLR-4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway. Ketamine increased antioxidant markers but did not significantly affect MDA; it also decreased NF-κB expression seven days after injury. These findings suggest that both drugs may protect the brain after trauma by curbing oxidative stress and inflammation.