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de Meiroz Grilo MLP, de Sousa GM, de Mendonça LAC, Lobão-Soares B, de Sousa MBC, Palhano-Fontes F, de Araujo DB, Perkins D, Hallak JEC, Galvão-Coelho NL. Prophylactic action of ayahuasca in a non-human primate model of depressive-like behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:901425. [PMID: 36408451 PMCID: PMC9672345 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.901425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Observational studies of long-term users of ayahuasca, an Amazonian psychedelic brew, suggest an increase in resilience via improvements in emotion and cognition. Ayahuasca has also demonstrated clinical antidepressant effects in human and animal studies; however, its potential prophylactic action in depression has not been previously studied. Therefore, this experimental study sought to evaluate the potential prophylactic effects of repeated and long-term ayahuasca use, via the modulation of resilience, in a non-human primate animal model, Callithrix jacchus, subjected to a protocol for induction of depressive-like behavior. For the formation of the study groups, some juvenile marmosets were kept in their family groups (GF = 7), while for the two experimental groups, the animals were removed from the family and kept socially isolated. Then, part of the isolated animals made up the group in which ayahuasca was administered (AG, n = 6), while for others, no intervention was made (IG, n = 5). AG animals took ayahuasca (1.67 mL/300g body weight) at weeks 4 (before isolation), 8, and 12 (during isolation) of the study. More adaptive stress response was observed for the AG when compared to the IG. The AG showed higher cortisol reactivity and fecal cortisol levels than IG, while both measures were similar to FG. Moreover, AG animals showed no signs of anhedonia and no increase in chronic stress-related behaviors, which were expressed by the IG. Thus, ayahuasca seems to promote the expression of resilient responses, indicating a prophylactic action, buffering the emergence of depressive-like behaviors and cortisol alterations associated with major depression. These results are encouraging for further research on the prophylactic use of psychedelics to prevent psychopathologies associated with chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lara Porpino de Meiroz Grilo
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Geovan Menezes de Sousa
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Lilían Andrade Carlos de Mendonça
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Bruno Lobão-Soares
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Bernardete Cordeiro de Sousa
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniel Perkins
- School of Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jaime Eduardo Cecilio Hallak
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, UFRN, Natal, RN, Brazil
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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Samandra R, Haque ZZ, Rosa MGP, Mansouri FA. The marmoset as a model for investigating the neural basis of social cognition in health and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104692. [PMID: 35569579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Social-cognitive processes facilitate the use of environmental cues to understand others, and to be understood by others. Animal models provide vital insights into the neural underpinning of social behaviours. To understand social cognition at even deeper behavioural, cognitive, neural, and molecular levels, we need to develop more representative study models, which allow testing of novel hypotheses using human-relevant cognitive tasks. Due to their cooperative breeding system and relatively small size, common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) offer a promising translational model for such endeavours. In addition to having social behavioural patterns and group dynamics analogous to those of humans, marmosets have cortical brain areas relevant for the mechanistic analysis of human social cognition, albeit in simplified form. Thus, they are likely suitable animal models for deciphering the physiological processes, connectivity and molecular mechanisms supporting advanced cognitive functions. Here, we review findings emerging from marmoset social and behavioural studies, which have already provided significant insights into executive, motivational, social, and emotional dysfunction associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranshikha Samandra
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Zakia Z Haque
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Marcello G P Rosa
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; ARC Centre for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Australia.
| | - Farshad Alizadeh Mansouri
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; ARC Centre for Integrative Brain Function, Monash University, Australia.
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