Antidepressive effects of the κ-opioid receptor agonist salvinorin A in a rat model of anhedonia.
Mitchell T Harden, Staci E Smith, Jennifer A Niehoff, Christopher R Mccurdy, George T Taylor
Behavioural Pharmacology October 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e3283586189 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female Long-Evans rats |
| Intervention | Salvinorin A |
| Dose | 1 mg/kg body weight |
| Duration | 3-week treatment period after 3 weeks of chronic mild stress |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key findings | Salvinorin A reversed anhedonia in chronically stressed rats, indicating antidepressant properties. |
Abstract
Salvinorin A (SalvA), the hallucinogenic derivative of the plant Salvia divinorum, is a selective κ-opioid receptor agonist that may also have antidepressant properties. Chronic mild stress (CMS) was applied to male and female Long-Evans rats to model anhedonia common in depression. The progressive loss in preference for a sucrose solution over plain water, a measure of anhedonia, and locomotor activity were monitored for 7 weeks. Because antidepressant medications often modify reproductive functions, endocrine glands and hormone-sensitive tissues were assessed at necropsy after the conclusion of the behavioral protocol. Three weeks of CMS exposure led to a decrease in sucrose preference. CMS was continued for 3 additional weeks and animals were randomly assigned to treatment with 1 mg SalvA/kg body weight or to a vehicle control group. The results indicate that SalvA reversed anhedonia whereas control animals continued to show a suppressed preference for the sucrose solution. In addition, no change in sucrose preference was observed in nonstressed rats that were exposed to the same dosage of SalvA. The results indicate that SalvA is an effective antidepressant agent when administered chronically to rats showing symptoms of depression similar to those observed in humans.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of the plant-derived hallucinogen salvinorin A on basal dopamine levels in the caudate putamen and in a conditioned place aversion assay in mice: agonist actions at kappa opioid receptors. Mice | 2005 | Experimental study | |
| Potential anxiolytic‐ and antidepressant‐like effects of salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, in rodents Male Sprague-Dawley rats and male Albino Swiss mice | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Involvement of kappa-opioid and endocannabinoid system on Salvinorin A-induced reward. Wistar rats | 2008 | Experimental study | |
| Role of kappa-opioid receptors in the effects of salvinorin A and ketamine on attention in rats. Rats | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| The plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, produces kappa-opioid agonist-like discriminative effects in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys | 2004 | Experimental study | n = 3 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 3, 2014
- Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist Mesyl Sal B Attenuates Behavioral Sensitization to Cocaine with Fewer Aversive Side-Effects than Salvinorin A in Rodents. Molecules October 11, 2018
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum: Clinical and Forensic Aspects Pharmaceuticals February 3, 2021
- Salvia divinorum: from Mazatec medicinal and hallucinogenic plant to emerging recreational drug. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental September 1, 2013
- Role of Psychedelics in Treatment-Resistant Depression. Psychiatric Clinics of North America June 1, 2023
and 12 more in the library