Changes in aminoacidergic and monoaminergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus and amygdala of rats after ayahuasca ingestion
World Journal of Biological Chemistry January 1, 2013 Eduardo Ferreira de Castro-Neto, Rafael Henrique Da Cunha, Dartiu Xavier Da Silveira et al. 51 citations
In rats given ayahuasca by gavage at doses of 250, 500, or 800 mg/kg, the hippocampus showed increased levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA at all doses, while the amygdala showed decreased levels of the inhibitory amino acids glycine and GABA at the two higher doses. The amygdala also exhibited an increased utilization rate of the monoamines noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin at all three doses. These results suggest that ayahuasca ingestion increases inhibitory amino acid release in the hippocampus and increases monoamine turnover in the amygdala.