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 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 Antidepressant Intraperitoneal injection Pharmacology Lipopolysaccharide Elevated plus maze Behavioural despair test |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | 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.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on ayahuasca for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Changes Over Time Following Ayahuasca Exposure in Zebrafish Adult zebrafish | 2017 | Experimental study | n = 70 |
| Effects of Long-Term Ayahuasca Administration on Memory and Anxiety in Rats Rats | 2015 | Animal study | |
| An ontogenic study of the behavioral effects of chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca in mice C57BL/6 mice | 2017 | Animal study | |
| Psychedelics: A review of their effects on recalled aversive memories and fear/anxiety expression in rodents Rodents | 2024 | Review | |
| Ayahuasca Pretreatment Prevents Sepsis-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior, Neuroinflammation, and Oxidative Stress, and Increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Rats | 2025 | Animal study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Molecular Pathways of the Therapeutic Effects of Ayahuasca, a Botanical Psychedelic and Potential Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Biomolecules November 2, 2022
- Psychedelics in neuroinflammation: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 31, 2025
- Therapeutic modulation of the kynurenine pathway in severe mental illness and comorbidities: A potential role for serotonergic psychedelics. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry August 30, 2024
- Psilocybin as a lead candidate molecule in preclinical therapeutic studies of psychiatric disorders: A systematic review Journal of Neurochemistry November 29, 2023
- The current state of ayahuasca research in animal models: A systematic review. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry July 13, 2023
and 13 more in the library
Cites 13
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- The Hallucinogen N,N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Is an Endogenous Sigma-1 Receptor Regulator Science February 13, 2009
- Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 2015
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential Brain Research Bulletin March 11, 2016
and 8 more in the library