Antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effects of ayahuasca in rats subjected to LPS-induced neuroinflammation
Marina Goulart Da Silva, Guilherme Cabreira Daros, Fabiana Pereira Santos, Maurı́cio Yonamine, Rafael Mariano de Bitencourt
Behavioural Brain Research July 14, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114007 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAyahuasca reduced anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in rats with neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (0.63 mg/kg/mL). Eighty male rats, about 90 days old, were divided into control and LPS groups, with prevention and treatment subgroups. Ayahuasca (4 mL/kg) or saline was given by gavage one hour before or 24 hours after LPS or saline injections. Open field and forced swimming tests measured behavior. LPS rats given ayahuasca showed less anxiety-like behavior in both subgroups. Depressive-like behavior decreased in LPS rats given ayahuasca, in both prevention and treatment subgroups, compared to controls. The findings suggest anxiolytic and antidepressant potential of ayahuasca in neuroinflammation, possibly via antineuroinflammatory effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Male rats, about 90 days old |
| Interventions | Ayahuasca saline |
| Dose | 4 mL/kg |
| Duration | 24 hours between LPS injection and behavioral testing in treatment subgroup; one hour between ayahuasca and LPS in prevention subgroup |
| Topics | Anxiety Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Neuroinflammation Anxiolytic Open field Saline |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key finding | Ayahuasca reduced anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in rats with neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide. |
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavioral response of ayahuasca in rats submitted to neuroinflammation through the intraperitoneal application of lipopolysaccharide (0.63 mg/kg/mL). Eighty animals, male, about 90 days old, were divided into control and LPS groups and later into prevention and treatment subgroups. The prevention subgroup was administered ayahuasca or saline solution, via gavage, at a dose of 4 mL/kg one hour before applying LPS or saline, while the treatment subgroup received the same dose of the respective substances 24 h after intraperitoneal applications. Behavioral parameters were evaluated using open field (anxiety-like) and forced swimming (depressive-like) tests. A decrease in LPS/AYA rats in the prevention and treatment subgroups regarding anxiety-like behavior was observed. As for the depressive-like behavior, there was a decrease in the group induced to the disease model, both in the prevention subgroup (when compared to the SAL/SAL, SAL/AYA, and LPS/AYA with LPS/SAL groups) and in the treatment (when comparing SAL/SAL and LPS/AYA with LPS/SAL). This study concludes the anxiolytic and antidepressant potential of ayahuasca in an animal model of neuroinflammation, possibly due to the antineuroinflammatory effects already reported of the compound.