Ayahuasca, a psychedelic beverage, modulates neuroplasticity induced by ethanol in mice
Carolina Aparecida Faria Almeida, Antônio Alves Pereira-Júnior, Jéssica Gonçalves Rangel, Bruna Pinheiro Pereira, Karla Cristinne Mancini Costa, Vítor Bruno, Gabriela de Oliveira Silveira, Carla S. Ceron, Maurı́cio Yonamine, Rosana Camarini, Raphael Caio Tamborelli Garcia, Tânia Marcourakis, Larissa Helena Torres
Behavioural Brain Research August 23, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113546 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractRepeated ethanol administration to mice produced behavioral sensitization, a model of alcohol use disorder. Subsequent daily treatment with ayahuasca (1.76 mg/kg DMT) for eight days attenuated that sensitization. Ayahuasca also reduced the anxiety-like behavior triggered by ethanol withdrawal and prevented ethanol-induced changes in 5-HT1a receptor and prodynorphin levels in the hippocampus, while reducing ethanol's effects on the dynorphin/prodynorphin ratio in the striatum. The results suggest ayahuasca may modulate neuroplastic changes caused by ethanol.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Swiss mice |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Dose | 1.76 mg/kg of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) |
| Duration | Eight consecutive days of daily ayahuasca treatment; ethanol injections every other day across nine days (D1, D3, D5, D7, D9) |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Dynorphin Striatum Pharmacology Ethanol |
| Citations | 33 |
| Key finding | Ayahuasca attenuated ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization and reduced anxiogenic responses to ethanol withdrawal in mice. |
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder needs more effective treatments because relapse rates remain high. Psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, have been used to treat substance use disorders. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of ayahuasca on ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization (EIBS). Swiss mice received 2.2 g/kg ethanol or saline IP injections every other day across nine days (D1, D3, D5, D7, and D9), and locomotor activity was evaluated 10 min after each injection. Then, animals were treated daily with ayahuasca (corresponding to 1.76 mg/kg of N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT) or water by oral gavage for eight consecutive days. On the seventh day, mice were evaluated in the elevated plus maze. Then, mice were challenged with a single dose of ethanol to measure their locomotor activity. Dopamine receptors, serotonin receptors, dynorphin, and prodynorphin levels were quantified in the striatum and hippocampus by blot analysis. Repeated ethanol administration resulted in EIBS. However, those animals treated with ayahuasca had an attenuated EIBS. Moreover, ayahuasca reduced the anxiogenic response to ethanol withdrawal and prevented the ethanol-induced changes on 5-HT1a receptor and prodynorphin levels in the hippocampus and reduced ethanol effects in the dynorphin/prodynorphin ratio levels in the striatum. These results suggest a potential application of ayahuasca to modulate the neuroplastic changes induced by ethanol.