Serotonergic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT alters plasticity-related gene expression and generates anxiolytic effects in stressed mice.
Molecular psychiatry January 1, 2025 Margareth Nogueira, Daiane C Ferreira Golbert, Richardson Menezes et al. 18 citations
A single dose of the short-acting psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT alters expression of genes related to plasticity and neuronal activity in specific brain regions of mice, including the anterior cingulate cortex, basolateral amygdala, and ventral hippocampus. Immediate early genes Arc and Zif268 changed within hours, while TRIP8b, a modulator of neuronal activity, increased in the ventral hippocampus after five days. Behaviorally, 5-MeO-DMT produced mixed anxiety-reducing and anxiety-increasing effects in standard tests, but mice pre-treated with the compound and then exposed to acute stress showed lower corticosterone levels and strong anxiety-reducing effects. The findings suggest molecular pathways through which 5-MeO-DMT may produce anxiolytic effects.