Effects of the hallucinogenic beverage ayahuasca on voluntary ethanol intake by rats and on cFos expression in brain areas relevant to drug addiction
Luciana Marangni Nolli, Danilo Gustavo Rodrigues de Oliveira, Stefany Sousa Alves, Marcus Vinicius von Zuben, Aline Pic‐taylor, Márcia Renata Mortari, Eloísa Dutra Caldas
Alcohol November 4, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.10.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Wistar rats |
| Interventions | Ayahuasca Naltrexone |
| Dose | 0.5x, 1x, or 2x the ritual dose for ayahuasca; 2 mg/kg body weight for naltrexone |
| Duration | 8-week ethanol access, 5-day treatment period |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Nucleus accumbens Ethanol Endocrinology Cortex anatomy Hallucinogen Pharmacology Central nervous system Biochemistry |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca at 0.5x, 1x, or 2x the ritual dose did not decrease ethanol intake in rats, but the lowest dose reduced cFos expression in the medial orbital cortex to levels comparable to a naïve group. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic infusion used in religious rituals that has serotoninergic properties and may be a potential therapeutic option for drug addiction. In this study, Wistar rats had intermittent access to ethanol for 8 weeks, receiving water (control), naltrexone (NTX, 2 mg/kg body weight [bw] intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or ayahuasca (Aya) at 0.5x, 1x, or 2x the ritual dose in the final 5 days. A naïve group had access only to water. Ethanol intake was estimated throughout the experiment, and cFos expression was evaluated in medial orbital cortex (MO), ventral orbital cortex (VO), lateral orbital cortex (LO), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and striatum. Treatment with either NTX or Aya (oral) did not decrease ethanol intake compared to the baseline level (5th to 7th week), but the NTX group intake was significantly lower than controls (p < 0.05). Ethanol significantly increased cFos expression in the MO region for control (p < 0.0001), NTX (p < 0.05), Aya1 (p < 0.001), and Aya2 (p < 0.0001) groups. This increase was also observed in the VO for the Aya1 group (p = 0.035), in the LO for the Aya2 group (p < 0.01), and in NAc for NTX and ayahuasca groups (p < 0.005). Furthermore, NTX and Aya0.5 treatment decreased cFos expression compared to controls in the MO region (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), but only the ayahuasca group reached levels not significantly different from the naïve group. Studies using other protocols and dose regime are necessary to better investigate the impact of ayahuasca on alcohol intake by rats to support the observations in humans. Additionally, the role of ayahuasca in mediating cFos expression in other selected brain regions and its relationship with the serotoninergic/dopaminergic systems and drug addiction need further investigation.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of ayahuasca on the development of ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization and on a post-sensitization treatment in mice Mice | 2015 | Experimental study | |
| Ayahuasca blocks ethanol preference in an animal model of dependence and shows no acute toxicity Mice | 2021 | Preclinical study | |
| Phytochemical and Neuropharmacological Evaluation of Banisteriopsis caapi, Paullinia cupana, and Turnera diffusa for Potential Anti-Addiction Activity | 2026 | Computational and in vitro study | |
| Ayahuasca prevents the reinstatement of cocaine-induced rewarding effects in C57Bl/6 mice. C57Bl/6 mice | 2025 | Experimental study | |
| Ayahuasca treatment reduces 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations and modifies mesocorticolimbic monoamine neurochemistry in rats. Adult male Wistar rats | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial |
Citations in the library
Cited by 22
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Classic psychedelics and alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of human and animal studies Addiction Biology August 31, 2022
- Effects of ayahuasca and its alkaloids on substance use disorders: an updated (2016-2020) systematic review of preclinical and human studies. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience June 1, 2022
- Ayahuasca's therapeutic potential: What we know - and what not. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2023
- Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports December 1, 2023
and 17 more in the library
Cites 16
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 17, 2010
- Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential Brain Research Bulletin March 11, 2016
and 11 more in the library