Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic beverage containing DMT and β-carbolines, can reduce ethanol reward in male mice without itself being rewarding at certain doses. An intermediate dose of ayahuasca induced conditioned place preference (CPP), while higher doses and its plant components Banisteriopsis caapi (Bc) and Psychotria viridis (Pv) did not. Pretreatment with ayahuasca blocked the development of ethanol-induced CPP, whereas Bc and Pv alone had no effect. Post-conditioning treatment with ayahuasca, Bc, or Pv in the ethanol-paired environment blocked expression of ethanol-induced CPP; treatment in the saline-paired compartment also blocked expression for intermediate ayahuasca and Bc doses, and for Pv. The environment influences these therapeutic effects.
Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic beverage used in traditional Amazonian rituals, blocked the reinstatement of methylphenidate-induced conditioned place preference in mice, indicating reduced drug-seeking behavior. Both ayahuasca (100 mg/kg, orally) and methylphenidate (10 mg/kg, i.p.) separately induced conditioned place preference. However, methylphenidate altered Fos expression in several limbic brain regions associated with drug abuse, while ayahuasca had limited effects on Fos expression. Treatment with ayahuasca after conditioning with methylphenidate prevented reinstatement of the conditioned place preference and generally blocked the changes in Fos expression induced by methylphenidate conditioning or reexposure. These findings suggest ayahuasca restored normal brain function in areas linked to long-term drug wanting or seeking.