Abstract
—The mechanisms of the ketamine antidepressant effects observed in humans and laboratory animals are not fully understood. To further clarify the role of brain serotonergic (5-HT) activity in the action of antidepressant drugs, optogenetic inhibition of 5-HT neurons in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) was applied. In control animals, a subanesthetic dose of ketamine alleviated their depressive-like behavior in the tail suspension test. Inhibition of 5-HT neurons abolished the drug effect and moreover, a sedative response to ketamine was found under these conditions. Furthermore, optogenetic suppression of the activity of 5-HT neurons prevented the increase in c-Fos expression induced by ketamine both in light-sensitive neurons and in other DRN neurons. The data emphasize the key role of 5-HT neuron activity in the rapid ketamine antidepressant effect.
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