Role of hippocampal AMPA receptors in antidepressant effect of ketamine in rats

Objective To evaluate the role of hippocampal AMPA receptors in the antidepressant effect of ketamine in rats.Methods Thirty male Wistar rats aged 2 months weighing 180-220 g were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =10 each):control group (group C); ketamine group (group K) and AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX group (group N).The animals were forced to swim for 15 min on the 1st day.On the 2nd day,NBQX 10 mg/kg was injected intrapefitoneally in group N; 30 min later,normal saline was injected intraperitoneally in group C,while ketamine 10 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally in groups K and N.The forced swimming test was performed again for 5 min at 30 min after administration and the immobility time of the rats was recorded.Then the animals were sacrificed and the hippocampus was removed for determination of the expression of phosphorylated rapamycin (p-mTOR) and phosphorylated glutamate receptor 1 (p-GluR1).Results Compared with group C,the immobility time was significantly shortened and the expression of p-mTOR and p-GluR1 up-regulated in group K,and the immobility time was significantly shortened,the expression of p-mTOR up-regulated and the expression of p-GluR1 down-regulated in group N (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group K,the immobility time was significantly prolonged and the expression of p-mTOR and p-GluR1 down-regulated in group N (P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion AMPA receptors in hippocampus are involved in the antidepressant effect of ketamine in rats and the inhibition of mTOR and GluR1 activities may be involved in the mechanism. Key words: Receptors,AMPA; Hippocampus; Ketamine; Depressive disorder