Ayahuasca and its major component harmine promote antinociceptive effects in mouse models of acute and chronic pain.
Journal of ethnopharmacology April 6, 2024 Pedro Santana Sales Lauria, Juliana de Medeiros Gomes, Lucas Silva Abreu et al. 10 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew used in religious ceremonies, reduces pain in mice across several models of acute and chronic pain, including neuropathic pain. Oral doses of 24-3000 μL/kg dose-dependently decreased formalin-induced pain behaviors and mechanical allodynia caused by inflammation, but did not affect paw swelling or tail flick reflexes. In a model of nerve injury, a single dose reduced mechanical allodynia, and daily treatments for 14 days produced sustained pain relief without detectable toxicity. The antinociceptive effect was reversed by blocking GABAA and serotonin receptors, but not by opioid, GABAB, or cannabinoid receptor antagonists. Harmine, a major component of ayahuasca, also produced consistent pain relief in neuropathic mice.