The Effect of Ketamine Anesthesia on Balance Behavior and Histopathological Changes of the Cerebellum in Rat Neonates

Introduction: Ketamine is a popular drug for use in various populations, including pregnant women. Of note, the high prevalence of ketamine use may cause disorders, especially in the nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of repeated short-term and long-term anesthesia with ketamine on balance behavior and cerebellar tissue changes in neonatal rats. Method: In total, 15 female and 3 male rats were prepared and then randomly divided into 3 groups of 5 including control, long-term, as well as short-term and repeated anesthesia with ketamine. Pregnant female rats in the group of long-term anesthesia with ketamine were anesthetized once a week (at a dose of 75 mg/kg), and those in the groups of short-term and repeated anesthesia with ketamine were anesthetized 3 times a week (at a dose of 25 mg/kg). Ketamine injections were given weekly and regularly until the end of pregnancy. In order to evaluate the balance behavior of rats, a balance behavior test was conducted after lactation of all neonates of different groups. Moreover, tissue sampling was performed at the end of the whole period. Results: Most tissue changes were related to the Purkinje layer in the long-term group. In terms of balance, there were significant differences among different groups in terms of traveling distances and the number of slips. Conclusion: Increasing the dose of ketamine has mild effects on cerebellar tissue alongside significant effects on balance behavior.