Abstract
ABSTRACTTransparency ofC. elegansenables microscopicin vivoimaging of cellular processes, but immobilization is required due to high locomotor activity. Preservative NaN3is commonly used for this, but is associated with oxidative stress and toxicity. Here, anesthetic-like effects of dissociate anesthetic ketamine inC. elegansare presented using video recordings and infrared-based automated activity tracking. Ketamine caused a reversible blockade of locomotion at a similar concentration (20-50 mM) at which NaN3produces paralysis. Moreover, the recovery rate was remarkably high, and short-term ketamine treatment did not show signs of SKN-1 activation, a marker of the stress response.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory