Serotonergic psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT alters plasticity-related gene expression and generates anxiolytic effects in stressed mice
Margareth Nogueira, Daiane C Ferreira Golbert, Richardson Menezes, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Nicole Coelho, Andressa N Siroky, Thiago Z Lima, Helton Maia, Katarina E. Leão, Richardson N. Leão
Research Square December 28, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3787978/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Intervention | 5-MeO-DMT |
| Dose | single high-dose |
| Duration | 1 hr, 5 hrs, or 5 days prior to measurement; behavioral tests at 24 hr or 5 days after treatment |
| Topics | Anxiety Serotonin 5-MeO-DMT DMT |
| Keywords | Dentate gyrus Anxiolytic Basolateral amygdala Anxiogenic Elevated plus maze Immediate early gene Arc geometry Open field Pharmacology Hippocampus Endocrinology Gene expression Receptor Biochemistry |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | 5-MeO-DMT altered expression of immediate early genes and TRIP8b in specific brain regions and produced mixed behavioral effects, but robust anxiolytic effects and lower corticosterone levels in acutely stressed mice. |
Abstract
Abstract Serotonergic psychedelics have potential therapeutic effects in treating anxiety and mood disorders, often after a single dose, and are suggested to have plasticity-inducing action. One lesser studied psychedelic, the 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), is suggested to have anxiolytic effects yet a comprehensive mechanism of action is still lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of a single high-dose of the short-acting 5-MeO-DMT on gene expression from microdissected brain regions (anterior cingulate cortex - ACC; basolateral amygdala - BLA; ventral hippocampus CA1 region - vCA1 and dentate gyrus - DG) of naive and stressed mice. Specifically, we compared gene expression of Arc, Zif268, BDNF, CREB, mTORC1, NR2A, TRIP8b and NFkB in mice injected with 5-MeO-DMT or saline at different time points (1 hr, 5 hrs or 5 days prior). 5-MeO-DMT altered mRNA expression of immediate early genes Arc and ZiF268 in the ACC, BLA and vCA1, while only NR2A expression was altered after 5 hrs in the vCA1. We also found a long-term increase in TRIP8b, a gene related to the modulation of neuronal activity, in the vCA1 after 5 days. Behaviorally, 5-MeO-DMT treated mice showed mixed anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects in the elevated plus maze and open field test 24 hr or 5 days after treatment. However, pre-treated mice subjected to acute stress showed both lower corticosterone levels and robust anxiolytic effects of 5-MeO-DMT administration. Together, our findings provide insights into the molecular actions of 5-MeO-DMT in the brain related to anxiolytic effects of behavior.