Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41779095›Full record

ArticleNeurochemical research2026

Esketamine Alleviates Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction via Rock2/Add1 Signaling Pathway in Aged Mice.

Chang Xu, Yonghai Zhang, Yao Liu, Xiaoyun Niu, Chanhua Zhang, Na Zhao, Yan Wu, Hanxiang Ma, Yujun Wen, Xinli Ni

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Neurochemical research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Chang XuDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Yonghai ZhangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Yao LiuNingxia Key Laboratory of Craniocerebral Diseases, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Xiaoyun NiuDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Chanhua ZhangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Na ZhaoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Yan WuDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Hanxiang MaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
Yujun Wen *Ningxia Key Laboratory of Craniocerebral Diseases, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China. wenyj@nxmu.edu.cn.
Xinli Ni *Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China. xinlini6@nyfy.com.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82260228Ningxia Natural Science Foundation 2025AAC030784Ningxia Natural Science Foundation 2025AAC030819
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is common in elderly surgical patients, and it can prolong recovery time and affect the quality of life. Although esketamine has been reported to alleviate POCD, its specific mechanism is not yet fully understood. This study investigates the effects of esketamine on POCD and its underlying molecular mechanisms. After exploratory laparotomy under isoflurane anesthesia, aged mice were treated with 10 mg/kg of esketamine via intraperitoneal injection. The findings of this study indicate that intraperitoneal administration of esketamine could alleviate POCD, as demonstrated through a suite of behavioral tests. Moreover, we collected hippocampal samples and used proteomics to obtain differentially expressed proteins, then cross-referenced them with the GO database to identify Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 (Rock2) as a potential target molecule for esketamine to alleviate POCD. We further confirmed using Western blotting that esketamine downregulates the increase in Rock2 expression and the phosphorylation of the Ser726 site on alpha-adducin (S726-Add1) induced by anesthesia and surgery in aged mice. Furthermore, the damage to dendritic spine density, dendritic complexity, and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal region caused by anesthesia and surgery showed improvement to a certain extent after esketamine treatment, as demonstrated by Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, and electrophysiological assessments. In summary, esketamine improved POCD in aged mice, indicating that its mechanism may involve the protection of synaptic plasticity through the Rock2/Add1 pathway. This research may provide new perspectives for the pharmacological treatment of POCD.

Indexed as

AgingKetaminePostoperative Cognitive Complicationsrho-Associated KinasesSignal TransductionAnimalsHippocampusMaleMiceKetaminerho-Associated KinasesRock2 protein, mouseAdd1EsketaminePostoperative cognitive dysfunctionRock2Synaptic plasticity

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.