@Article{cju.2026.080627,
AUTHOR = {Yudhistira Pradnyan Kloping, Dimas Panca Andhika, Zakaria Aulia Rahman, Putu Kurnia Darma, Anthony Chi-Fai Ng, Lukman Hakim},
TITLE = {Ketamine induces viability reduction and increased apoptosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells: an <i>in-vitro</i> study on PC-3 cell line},
JOURNAL = {Canadian Journal of Urology},
VOLUME = {},
YEAR = {},
NUMBER = {},
PAGES = {{pages}},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CJU/online/detail/27254},
ISSN = {1488-5581},
ABSTRACT = { <b>Background:</b> The use of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists for anesthesia is common, but their potential for other purposes is currently being studied. Ketamine, the most prescribed NMDA blocker, is currently used to treat depression. The growing use of these drugs as outpatient treatments highlights their potential for other areas. Several studies suggest that NMDA receptors are expressed in malignant adenocarcinoma cells, including prostate cancer. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of ketamine on viability and apoptosis in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. <b>Methods:</b> PC3 cell line, taken from a bone metastasis of a grade IV prostatic adenocarcinoma, was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium until ≥80% confluence. Cells were divided into treated and control groups. Ketamine was titrated (0.1024–200,000 nM) to determine the IC<sub>50</sub> level via CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was assessed at four dose levels using Annexin V-based flow cytometry. Viability was calculated using the AAT Bioquest<sup>®</sup> software. Apoptosis data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) post-hoc test in IBM<sup>®</sup> SPSS<sup>®</sup> software. <b>Results:</b> There is a dose-dependent effect of ketamine on the reduction of PC3 cell viability, with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 0.185 mM (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.96). Apoptosis rates at 0.045, 0.09, 0.18, and 0.36 mM of ketamine exposure were 14.21%, 21.17%, 39.46%, and 83.53%, respectively, compared to 9.5% in the control group. One-way ANOVA revealed significant rate differences (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) between groups. The post-hoc analysis indicated a dose-dependent apoptotic effect with no significant differences between the 0.045 group and the control group. All other comparisons were statistically significant (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). <b>Conclusion:</b> Ketamine exposure was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in viability and an increase in Annexin V-positive cells in PC3 CRPC cells <i>in vitro</i>. The findings suggest a potential biological effect on viability and apoptosis; further mechanistic and <i>in vivo</i> studies are required before establishing clinical relevance.},
DOI = {10.32604/cju.2026.080627}
}