Ketamine Intoxication in Two Species of Non-Human Primates
Abstract
This report summarizes casual observations collected during routine veterinary care and provides preliminary information on overt toxicity and incapacitation following intramuscular injection of ketamine in two species of non-human primates: African green vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabeus) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). The onset of ataxia and immobilization were recorded after a 10 mg/kg dose of ketamine for both species, and also for a 5 mg/kg dose for the African green monkeys. For all data sets, both sexes were represented, and despite the substantially lower body weights in females, no apparent sex differences were detected. Rapid onset of ataxia (in less than 3 minutes) and immobilization (in less than 5 minutes) was observed in all cases, regardless of species. These data are limited by the observational methods used and the limited range of doses and routes of exposure, but the conclusions are bolstered by a wealth of data from this and other studies using ketamine for sedation/anesthesia in non-human primates. This study provides important preliminary information on the rapid onset of ataxia and immobilization in males and females of two common species of laboratory non-human primates and offers a starting point for more focused investigations using comprehensive operant behavioral testing under an expanded range of ketamine doses and exposure routes. Such work would elaborate ketamines intoxication profile and set the stage for discovering effective medical countermeasures for ketamine intoxication in these non-human primate models.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 17, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1097198
Entities
People
- Jennifer R. Makar
- Katherine N. Wesley
- Noah A. Rauscher
- Todd M. Myers
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense