Effect of disulfiram on ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity in rats

It is known that ketamine increases the production of catecholamines, causing oxidative damage to the heart. Suppression of the production of catecholamines by disulfiram, a drug with antioxidant properties, indicates that disulfiram may decrease ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of disulfiram on ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Disulfiram was administered by oral gavage in doses of 25 mg/kg to rats in the DK-25 group and 50 mg/kg to rats in the DK-50 group. Distilled water was applied in the ketamine control (KC) and healthy (HG) rat groups. At one hour after drug administration and subsequently at ten-minute intervals, a 60 mg/kg dose of ketamine was intraperitoneally injected in the rats in all groups other than HG, and anesthesia was maintained for three hours. Disulfiram prevented both increase in the levels of parameters indicating oxidative and myocardial damage and decrease of antioxidant levels in the heart tissue with ketamine in a dose-dependent manner. Disulfiram better prevented occurrence of cardiotoxicity with ketamine in the 50 mg/kg dose than in the 25 mg/kg dose. It is concluded that disulfiram may usefully be applied in clinical practice in the prevention of cardiotoxicity as observed during anesthesia with ketamine.