Effects of ketamine on renal nerve activity, arterial pressure and heart rate in rats

We recorded renal nerve activity (RNA) together with arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) in 24 Wister rats anesthetized with nitrous oxide to investigate the effects of ketamine on the sympathetic nerve activity and the cardiovascular dynamics. The magnitude and time course of the responses to four graded doses of ketamine (1, 5, 10, 25 mg/kg) were studied in 19 rats. RNA responded biphasically, initially decreasing dose-dependently to minimal values of 89 +/- 4.4, 77 +/- 8.2, 54 +/- 5.2, and 17 +/- 3.7% of control for 1, 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg, respectively, and then increasing above control dose-independently. AP showed a biphasic response. HR first decreased dose-dependently but then increased slightly. In the remaining five rats, we compared the effects of ketamine 5 mg/kg on RNA, AP, and HR before surgical baroceptor denervation with those after the denervation. The denervation abruptly increased RNA, AP, and HR. Ketamine decreased RNA, AP, and HR in the denervated state and returned them to pre-ketamine values without overshoot. The finding that in the nerve intact state ketamine produced the characteristically biphasic response of RNA could be explained by the following mechanisms: (1) ketamine depresses the vasomotor center causing the initial decrease in RNA; (2) ketamine depresses the inhibitory effects of baroreflex causing the successive increase in RNA. The biphasic change in AP could be partly attributed to biphasic responses of RNA to ketamine.