Single dose ketamine injection affects activation of cells in the nucleus accumbens of prenatally stressed rats

Abstract

Objectives: The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has recently been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. In animals displaying depressive-like behavior following chronic stress exposure, glutamatergic transmission increases in the NAc. NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine act as an antidepressant, especially in treatment-resistant cases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of single-dose ketamine application in the activation of cells in the NAc of prenatally stressed rats.