Effective action of silymarin against ketamine-induced schizophrenia in male mice: Insight into the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of action.

Background: Neurochemical dysregulations resulting from N-methyl-D-aspartate hypofunction (NMDA), are exacerbated by neuroimmune and oxidative stress and are known risk factors for neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia-like diseases. Here, we investigate the protective and curative effects, and mechanisms of silymarin, a polyphenolic flavonoid with neuroprotective functions in preventive-reversal model of ketamine, an NMDA antagonist in mice.

Methods: Mice were grouped into 6 cohorts (n = 9).