Skip to content

Anxiolytic-like effects of noribogaine in zebrafish.

Allan V. Kalueff, Aleksandra Kaluyeva, Émeline L. Maillet

Behavioural Brain Research July 14, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.008 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Experimental study Peer reviewed
Population Adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Intervention Noribogaine
Dose 1, 5 and 10 mg/L
Duration 20-minute drug immersion
Topics Anxiety Ibogaine
Keywords Anxiety management Zebrafish research Drug abuse treatment
Citations 21
Key findings Noribogaine produced robust anxiolytic-like behavior in zebrafish, increasing time spent and transitions to the top half compartment and reducing freezing bouts, without overt effects on locomotion.

Abstract

Noribogaine is the main psychoactive metabolite of the hallucinogenic drug ibogaine, and is a particularly interesting compound potentially useful to treat dependence and various psychiatric disorders. Here, we report the effects of noribogaine on anxiety and locomotion in zebrafish (Danio rerio), a new promising model organism in neurobehavioral and psychopharmacological research. Adult zebrafish were subjected to the 5min novel tank test (NTT) following an acute, 20-min drug immersion in 1, 5 and 10mg/L noribogaine. Overall, noribogaine produced robust anxiolytic-like behavior in zebrafish (increasing the time spent and transitions to the top half compartment and reducing freezing bouts) without overt effects on fish locomotion. Taken together, these results indicate that noribogaine modulates the components of the acute stress response related to emotionality and anxiety behaviors, implicating this drug as a potentially useful non-sedative anxiolytic agent.

Explore topics