Psychedelic 25H-NBOMe attenuates post-sepsis depression in rats.
Barbara G Ferri, Cintia O De Novais, Viviana C T Rojas, Elisa S Estevam, Gabriel J M Dos Santos, Rayner R Cardoso, Ester S C Nogueira, Pollyanna F Oliveira, Wellington A De Barros, Ângelo de Fátima, Fabiana C Vilela Giusti, Alexandre Giusti-Paiva
Neuroscience letters June 21, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137845 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn a rat model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy, the psychedelic phenethylamine 25H-NBOMe reduced depressive-like behaviors and signs of neuroinflammation. Rats that underwent cecal ligation and puncture surgery to induce sepsis showed decreased immobility and increased swimming times in the forced swim test after treatment, indicating fewer depressive symptoms. The compound also increased head-twitch responses, confirming its psychoactive effects, and lowered GFAP expression in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting reduced astrogliosis. The findings indicate that 25H-NBOMe can alleviate post-sepsis depression and neuroinflammation, but its psychedelic properties warrant investigation of similar compounds with fewer psychoactive effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Preclinical animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g |
| Intervention | 25H-NBOMe |
| Duration | Behavioral assessments on day 7 or 14 post-surgery |
| Keywords | Animal models Forced swimming test Long-term sequelae Neuroinflammation Phenethylamine |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | 25H-NBOMe treatment reduced depressive-like behaviors and GFAP expression in rats with sepsis-associated encephalopathy. |
Abstract
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy, which manifests in severe cognitive and depressive symptoms, is directly linked to neuroinflammation. Our study investigates the efficacy of 25H-NBOMe, a phenethylamine, in alleviating these symptoms, potentially offering an innovative treatment for post-sepsis depression. Wistar rats, weighing between 250-300 g, were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery to induce sepsis. Depressive-like behaviors were assessed using the forced swim test (FST) on either day 7 or 14 post-surgery, to establish the presence of depressive symptoms. The impact of 25H-NBOMe treatment was then evaluated, focusing on the head-twitch response (HTR), performance in the FST, and GFAP expression in the prefrontal cortex. Treatment with 25H-NBOMe resulted in significant behavioral changes, demonstrated by decreased immobility and increased swimming times in the FST, along with a rise in the HTR. These outcomes indicate a reduction in depressive-like symptoms post-sepsis and the psychoactive effects of the compound. Furthermore, a notable decrease in GFAP expression in the study highlights the compound's impact on mitigating sepsis-induced astrogliosis. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of 25H-NBOMe, a psychedelic in the phenethylamine class, in treating post-sepsis depression and reducing astrogliosis. However, the psychedelic nature of 25H-NBOMe calls for further investigation into similar compounds with less psychoactive impact, crucial for advancing treatment options for neuropsychiatric symptoms following sepsis.