Skip to main content

Neurobehavioral, testicular and erectile impairments of chronic ketamine a dministration: Pathogenesis and ameliorating effect of N-acetyl cysteine

Research Abstract
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, recently has spread as a recreational drug. Its abuse lead to neurobehavioral disturbance in addition to toxic effects on other body organs. To evaluate the toxic effects of chronic administration of low ketamine doses on the memory, testicles, and erection, explore its pathophysiology through oxidative stress mechanism and examine the ameliorating effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). A total of 40 male albino rats were assigned to control, vehicle, ketamine only I.P. (10 mg/kg), and ketamine (10 mg/kg) + NAC (150 mg/kg) groups. Assessment of memory affection and erectile function by Passive Avoidance, Novel Object Recognition, and copulatory tests were performed. Estimation of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in serum and prefrontal & hippocampal homogenate, and luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone in serum were done. Prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and testes were collected for histopathology. Chronic ketamine administration induced significant memory deficits (P0.05), reduced erectile function (P0.05), severe hypospermatogenesis, increased MDA, reduced CAT, TAC levels in serum, and tissue homogenate (P0.05) and reduction of LH, and testosterone (P0.05). Treatment with NAC resulted in significant improvement of memory function, improved erectile function, and decrease in oxidative injury in both serum and tissue homogenates. Testosterone and LH levels exhibited significant difference between treatment groups and controls (P0.05). NAC reduced the deleterious histopathological changes. These data suggest that long-term ketamine affects short and long memory, induces erectile and testicular dysfunction through oxidative stress. Co-administration with NAC ameliorates these toxic effects.
Research Authors
Doaa M. El Shehaby, Reham I El-Mahdyb,*, Asmaa M. Ahmedc, Ahmed Hosnyd, Nessren M. Abd el-Radye
Research Department
Research Journal
Reproductive Toxicology
Research Pages
57-66
Research Publisher
ELSEVIER
Research Rank
1
Research Vol
96
Research Website
NULL
Research Year
2020