British Journal of Pharmacology
May 5, 2009
Daniela Braida, Valeria Capurro, Alessia Zani et al.
145 citations
Salvinorin A, the active ingredient in Salvia divinorum, produced both anxiety-reducing and antidepressant-like effects in rats and mice. These effects were prevented by blocking either kappa-opioid or CB1 cannabinoid receptors. Salvinorin A reduced fatty acid amide hydrolase activity in the amygdala but showed very weak binding to CB1 receptors. The findings suggest that both kappa-opioid and endocannabinoid systems mediate these mood-altering effects, which may help explain subjective experiences reported by recreational users.
Biological psychiatry
February 1, 2008
Daniela Braida, Valeria Limonta, Valeria Capurro et al.
107 citations
Salvinorin A, a drug from the plant Salvia divinorum, produces rewarding effects in rats at low to moderate doses but becomes aversive at the highest doses tested. In conditioned place preference tests, doses between 0.1 and 40 micrograms per kilogram given subcutaneously were rewarding, while 160 micrograms per kilogram was aversive. In self-administration tests, doses of 0.1 to 0.5 micrograms per infusion given intracerebroventricularly were rewarding, but 1 microgram per infusion was aversive. The rewarding effect was blocked by pretreatment with either a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist or a kappa-opioid receptor antagonist. Salvinorin A also increased dopamine levels in the shell of the nucleus accumbens by about 150 percent. These findings indicate that the rewarding effects involve interaction between kappa-opioid and endocannabinoid systems.
British Journal of Pharmacology
August 1, 2002
Daniela Braida, Mariaelvina Sala
64 citations
Rats can learn to self-administer MDMA directly into the brain's ventricles, and the amount they take depends on the dose and on cannabinoid signaling. At most doses, rats pressed a lever more often to receive MDMA, except at the highest dose tested. Adding a synthetic cannabinoid (CP 55,940) to MDMA reduced lever pressing for the drug. Blocking the CB1 cannabinoid receptor with SR 141716A increased MDMA self-administration. These results indicate that the brain's own endocannabinoid system normally restrains MDMA-seeking behavior.
International journal of toxicology
December 1, 2011
Daniela Braida, Andrea Donzelli, Roberta Martucci et al.
29 citations
Salvinorin A, the main psychoactive compound in Salvia divinorum, impairs spatial long-term memory, episodic memory, and aversive memory in rats, but does not affect short-term memory. These memory deficits are blocked by a selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist, indicating the effects are mediated through that receptor. Additionally, salvinorin A disrupts latent inhibition, a measure of attention, suggesting broader cognitive impairment. The findings demonstrate that salvinorin A has deleterious effects on learning and memory via a κ-opioid receptor mechanism.
Brain Sciences
August 25, 2020
Micaela Tirri, Luisa Ponzoni, Sabrine Bilel et al.
9 citations
Two new psychoactive substances, DOB and PMA, which are structurally similar to MDMA and sold as ecstasy, impair motor behavior and sensorimotor responses in mice and induce hallucinatory states in zebrafish. In CD-1 male mice, acute administration of DOB and PMA (0.01–30 mg/kg) reduced spontaneous locomotion and disrupted prepulse inhibition of startle responses to visual, acoustic, and tactile stimuli. In zebrafish, lower doses of DOB (0.075–2 mg/kg) and PMA (0.0005–0.5 mg/kg) decreased swimming activity and reduced a hallucinatory score, indicating pro-psychedelic effects. These findings suggest the substances alter sensorimotor gating and may produce hallucinogen-like states.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
August 13, 2017
Luisa Ponzoni, Daniela Braida, Gianpietro Bondiolotti et al.
9 citations
MDMA and its derivatives DOB and PMA increase social, rewarding, and anxiety-reducing behaviors in adult zebrafish. These effects are blocked by a V1a vasopressin antagonist (SR49059), suggesting the oxytocin/vasopressin system plays a key role. The drugs also raised brain levels of isotocin (fish oxytocin) 3–5 times above control levels. The findings indicate that the oxytocin/vasopressin system mediates the behavioral effects of these substances, linking it to substance abuse disorders.