Ketamine Increases Permeability and Alters Epithelial Phenotype of Renal Distal Tubular Cells via a GSK-3β-Dependent Mechanism.

Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is misused and abused worldwide as an illegal recreational drug. In addition to its neuropathic toxicity, ketamine abuse has numerous effects, including renal failure; however, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. The process called epithelial phenotypic changes (EPCs) causes the loss of cell-cell adhesion and cell polarity in renal diseases, as well as the acquisition of migratory and invasive properties.