Ayahuasca partially preserves striatal integrity in juvenile non-human primates exposed to chronic stress: evidence from stereological evaluation.
Wigínio Gabriel de Lira-Bandeira, Lílian Andrade Carlos de Mendonça Batista, Andréa Silva de Medeiros Bandeira, Paulo Leonardo Araújo de Góis Morais, Luiz Roberto Fernandes Pereira, Maria Lara Porpino de Meiroz Grilo, Jeferson Souza Cavalcante, Melquisedec Abiaré Dantas de Santana, Ruthnaldo Rodrigues Melo de Lima, Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho, Fernando Vagner Lobo Ladd, Expedito Silva do Nascimento
Author Information
Wigínio Gabriel de Lira-Bandeira: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Lílian Andrade Carlos de Mendonça Batista: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Andréa Silva de Medeiros Bandeira: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Paulo Leonardo Araújo de Góis Morais: Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil.
Luiz Roberto Fernandes Pereira: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Maria Lara Porpino de Meiroz Grilo: Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Jeferson Souza Cavalcante: Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Melquisedec Abiaré Dantas de Santana: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Ruthnaldo Rodrigues Melo de Lima: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho: Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Fernando Vagner Lobo Ladd: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Expedito Silva do Nascimento: Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Introduction: The striatum (St) integrates cognitive, motor, and limbic functions and plays a critical role in processing emotions, motivation, and rewards. It may undergo several morphophysiological changes in neuropsychiatric diseases. Depression, a complex psychiatric disorder, affects millions of people around the world and leads to an increased risk of suicide, decreased quality of life, and functional impairment. Conventional treatments require prolonged use, leading to drug resistance; thus, new treatments and therapeutic strategies have been widely studied. Ayahuasca results from the joint infusion of the vine and Psychotria viridis leaves have psychoactive properties, and its use in depression has shown promising results. Our objective was to morphoquantitatively evaluate the effects of ayahuasca on the St in an already validated model of juvenile depression induced in a non-human primate. Methods: Six marmosets were divided into three groups of two animals each. One group was kept in family life (FG), and two groups were socially isolated (IG). Isolation was carried out by separating the animal from all others in the colony. One of the isolated groups received doses of ayahuasca tea (AG) 3 days before and two times during the isolation period, while the other groups received the same dose of placebo. After 13 weeks of experimentation, euthanasia, and transcardiac perfusion were performed. The brains were sectioned and stained with thionin using the Nissl method. We employed stereological techniques to assess the striatum and investigate potential alterations in neuronal volume in socially isolated animals treated with ayahuasca. Equidistant sections of the caudate and putamen were analyzed for all measurements and selected by systematic and uniform sampling. Results and discussion: Striatal neurons in the IG group exhibited significantly smaller volumes compared to those in the FG and AG groups. Our findings suggest that ayahuasca may prevent extensive neuronal volume loss, as observed in the IG, by acting as a prophylactic agent and buffering neural structural changes during chronical social isolation.
