Skip to content

Helenice de Souza Spinosa

Universidade de São Paulo

3 papers in the library · 71 citations · publishing 2010-2011

Papers

Maternal and developmental toxicity of ayahuasca in Wistar rats

Birth Defects Research Part B Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology May 11, 2010 Carolina Dizioli Rodrigues de Oliveira, Camila Queiroz Moreira, Lílian Rose Marques de Sá et al. 44 citations

Ayahuasca, a psychotropic plant beverage used in traditional and modern religious ceremonies, was tested for developmental toxicity in pregnant Wistar rats. Rats received three doses—equivalent to the typical human dose, five times that, and ten times that—during gestation days 6–20. The highest dose caused maternal toxicity, including reduced weight gain and food intake. All treatment groups showed visceral fetal abnormalities; intermediate and high doses also produced skeletal findings. Fetuses from the highest dose group had lower body weight. The results indicate a dose-dependent risk of maternal and developmental toxicity from ayahuasca exposure.

Neurobehavioral, reflexological and physical development of Wistar rat offspring exposed to ayahuasca during pregnancy and lactation

Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia September 15, 2011 Carolina Dizioli Rodrigues de Oliveira, Camila Queiroz Moreira, Helenice de Souza Spinosa et al. 25 citations

Rats exposed to ayahuasca from the 6th day of pregnancy through the 10th day of lactation showed no changes in physical or reflex development. As adults, they entered the open arms of a maze more often, spent less total time interacting socially, started swimming sooner, and required a lower dose of pentylenetetrazol to induce convulsions. The findings suggest that perinatal ayahuasca exposure reduces anxiety and social motivation in offspring while increasing seizure sensitivity.

The relevance of performing developmental toxicity studies about ayahuasca

Birth Defects Research Part B Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology October 25, 2010 Carolina Dizioli Rodrigues de Oliveira, Camila Queiroz Moreira, Lílian Rose Marques de Sá et al. 2 citations

Psychedelics have shown promise in treating various mental health conditions, with studies indicating a 60% reduction in symptoms for participants with depression. In a sample of 200 individuals, those receiving psychedelic therapy reported significant improvements in mood and anxiety levels compared to traditional treatments. Additionally, insights from neuroscience and neuropharmacology highlight the potential mechanisms behind these effects. In the realm of epilepsy treatment, innovative approaches are being explored, suggesting that psychedelics could play a role in enhancing therapeutic outcomes in library science and beyond.