Assessment of Ketamine's Influence on In Vitro Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is associated with angiogenic therapy and wound healing processes. It is important for anesthesiologists to understand the effects of perioperative and long-term use of anesthetics on angiogenesis. This study aimed to determine the effects of ketamine on in vitro angiogenesis: the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and normal human diploid fibroblasts (NHDF), HUVEC migration, and in vitro capillary tube formation in cocultured HUVEC and NHDF.

The effects of ketamine at concentrations of 1, 10, and 50 µM on the proliferation of HUVEC and NHDF for 48 hours were determined by using a water-soluble tetrazolium salt reagent. Quantitation of migration for 22 hours was achieved by measuring the fluorescence of migrating HUVEC exposed to ketamine using an angiogenesis system. The effects of ketamine on capillary tube formation with or without vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were investigated in cocultured HUVEC and NHDF incubated for 3 and 10 days.

Ketamine did not show any enhancing or suppressive effects on the in vitro proliferation of HUVEC and NHDF, HUVEC migration, or capillary tube formation in cocultured HUVEC and NHDF for either 3 or 10 days in the presence or absence of VEGF.

Ketamine had no effects on in vitro angiogenesis using cultured HUVEC and NHDF. Ketamine can potentially be used as an anesthetic agent with no influence on angiogenesis.