Noribogaine acute administration in rats promotes wakefulness and suppresses REM sleep.
Juan Pedro Castro-Nin, Diego Serantes, Paola Rodríguez, Bruno González, Ignacio Carrera, Pablo Torterolo, Joaquín González
Psychopharmacology July 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06572-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | Noribogaine |
| Topics | Ibogaine |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Key metabolite Compounds Sleep physiology sleep Alters sleep Promotes wakefulness Reduces slow-wave sleep Blocks rem sleep Brain function EEG Recordings |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Noribogaine promotes wakefulness, reduces slow-wave sleep, and blocks REM sleep in rats, mirroring the effects of ibogaine. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is a potent atypical psychedelic that has gained considerable attention due to its antiaddictive and antidepressant properties in preclinical and clinical studies. Previous research from our group showed that ibogaine suppresses sleep and produces an altered wakefulness state, which resembles natural REM sleep. However, after systemic administration, ibogaine is rapidly metabolized to noribogaine, which also shows antiaddictive effects but with a distinct pharmacological profile, making this drug a promising therapeutic candidate. Therefore, we still ignore whether the sleep/wake alterations depend on ibogaine or its principal metabolite noribogaine. To answer this question, we conducted polysomnographic recordings in rats following the administration of pure noribogaine. Our results show that noribogaine promotes wakefulness while reducing slow-wave sleep and blocking REM sleep, similar to our previous results reported for ibogaine administration. Thus, we shed new evidence on the mechanisms by which iboga alkaloids work in the brain.