Possible Interaction: Ketamine and Niacin

“Volatile anesthetics and ketamine are potent inhibitors of nicotinic nAch receptors with clinically relevant IC50 values (6).”

“Although numerous other receptors (e.g., GABA, nicotinic acetylcholine, opiate, voltage-operated channels) have been reported to interact with ketamine , their role in inducing dissociative anaesthesia is still under discussion.”

“Several anesthetic drugs are nicotinic antagonists at or below levels used for anesthesia, including ketamine and volatile anesthetics.”

“Nicotinamide and ketamine decreased brain swelling and DNA fragmentation in the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus in rats perfused for 6 or 24 h. Ketamine may synergize the actions of nicotinamide and partially prevent brain damage from ischemia and reperfusion.”

“The combination of ketamine and nicotinamide decreased infarct volume to 83.8 +/- 35.2 mm(3).”

“These observations indicate that ketamine , at clinical concentrations, can inhibit nicotinic receptor-associated ionic channels and that the inhibition of Na influx via the receptor-associated ionic channels is responsible for the inhibition of carbachol-induced Ca influx and catecholamine secretion.”

“ Ketamine (90 microM and over) depressed the nicotinic responses of the ganglia.”

“Both ketamine and phencyclidine specifically inhibited nicotinic agonist-induced secretion at concentrations which did not alter secretion induced by elevated K+ depolarization.”

“In concentrations greater than 10 −3 M , ketamine acted non-selectively to block reversibly the nicotinic , muscarinic and non-cholinergic ganglionic responses.”

“Collectively, these experimental results demonstrate that ketamine inhibits the CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors and the membrane depolarization from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland.”