Ameliorative activity of co-administration of ketamine and ECT on depression like behaviors in depressed rats

Background and Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the end choice treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Regarding researches that show NMDA receptor inactivation could yield the same results as anti-depressant drugs, however, the present study examined co-administration of ECT and ketamine (as NMDA antagonist) on depressed rat behaviors. Materials and Methods: Fifty healthy adult male Wistar rats were divided into control (normal, no treatment) and CUMS induced depressed rats. The depressed animals were subdivided into 1- ECT, 2-ketamine, and 3- ECT + ketamine and 4- no treatment. We used sucrose preference, forced swimming, open field and elevated plus maze tests for evaluation of depression-related behavioral function. Results: Data analysis in CUMS depressed rats that treated with ketamine + ECT showed higher sucrose consumption in sucrose preference test, more immobility in forced swimming, and the vast activity in open field and plus maze tests. Conclusion: The behavioral analysis tests show that combination therapy with ketamine and electroconvulsive could markedly reduce depression and anxiolytic behaviors than ketamine or ECT treatment alone.