Ayahoasca: an experimental psychosis that mirrors the transmethylation hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Alicia B Pomilio, A A Vitale, Jorge Ciprian-Ollivier, M Cetkovich-Bakmas, R Gómez, Gustavo Vazquez
Journal of Ethnopharmacology April 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00163-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Intervention | Ayahoasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Amazonian beverage Traditional medicine Plant medicine Psychosis Psychotic states Mental illness Psychiatric conditions Brain chemistry Neurochemistry Biochemical pathway Enzyme activity Neurotransmitters Hallucinogens Psychoactive compounds Psychedelics |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | After consuming Ayahuasca, healthy subjects' urine contained hallucinogenic compounds identical to those found in acute psychotic unmedicated patients. |
Abstract
The experimental psychosis observed after drinking Ayahoasca, a South American hallucinogenic beverage from the Amazon Indians, reproduces the pathologic transmethylation theory of schizophrenia. This theory postulates a decrease in the monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, which results in the accumulation of methylated indolealkylamines, such as bufotenin (5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. These substances are strong hallucinogens as has been previously confirmed experimentally. On the other hand, it is known that Ayahoasca is a beverage usually prepared by boiling two plants, one of them rich in beta-carbolines, which are naturally occurring strong inhibitors of MAO, and the other with high quantities of DMT. This particular combination reproduces what is supposed to occur under pathologic conditions of different psychoses. The effects of Ayahoasca were studied in subjects, assessing urine levels of DMT by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) before and after the intake of the beverage. The results of this study confirm that the hallucinogenic compounds detected in the healthy subjects' (post-Hoasca, but not before) urine samples are the same as those found in samples from acute psychotic unmedicated patients. The chemical composition of the Ayahoasca beverage, and of the plant material used for its preparation are also reported as well as psychometric and neuroendocrine subject parameters.