Ketamine: from narcotic analgesics to antidepressants

Ketamine compound was firstly synthesized for more than 60 years. It is widely used in clinical anesthesia due to its potent analgesic effect and lower deleterious impacts on circulatory and respiratory functions. Very recently, its rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effect attracted increasing attentions in the topic field. We therefore reviewed the pharmacological properties of ketamine, its clinical application as a narcotic analgesic, and antidepressant effect of its metabolites.