A ayahuasca modula a resiliência? Uma avaliação em modelo animal primata não-humano de depressão maior
Throughout evolution, animals have experienced several stress situations, so there is high amount of variability in stress responses, some adaptive and others not. Major depression (MD) is a humor disorder associated to chronic stress, vulnerability phenotypes, and non-adaptive stress responses. MD is one of the most disabling psychopathologies in the world, and there is still no completely effective treatment for it, thus generating enormous individual, social and economic losses. Thus, using as a basis the theory of stress inoculation, which postulates that resilience can be gained, the psychedelics have become the target of research with prophylactic schemes against the emergence of some mental diseases. Ayahuasca (AYA) is a traditional beverage from the Amazon Forest that acts on the serotonergic system, and in addition to psychedelic effects has shown an antidepressant action. Considering that from an economic, social and psychological point of view, treating depression is more expensive than preventing it, this study has evaluated the possible prophylactic effects of prolonged use of ayahuasca, by modulation of resilience, against a major depression induction protocol, the social isolation (9 weeks), using a nonhuman primate animal model of depression, C. jacchus. For this, physiological (fecal cortisol) and behavioral evaluations were performed. The animals (18 juvenile males) were divided into 3 groups: Ayahuasca Group (AG n=6), where the animals received 3 AYA dosing while undergoing the depression inducing protocol; Isolated Control Group (ICG n=5), the animals were submitted to the depression inducing protocol without going through the prophylactic scheme; and Family Control Group (FCG n=7), animals were remained in their families without any experimental scheme. Overall, a more adaptive stress response to AG was observed when compared to ICG. The animals treated with AYA showed higher reactivity and fecal cortisol levels than GCI and similar to GCF; they did not show signs of anhedonia and increased behavior indicative of chronic stress, for example: scratching and autogrooming, which, on the other hand, were expressed by ICG. Thus, the prophylactic action of AYA in response to the depression inducing protocol seems be through by the promotion of expression of resilience responses, that is, buffering the emergence of depressive phenotypes and physiological changes. Although new studies are needed, this work opens doors to a new type of intervention in mental health field, the prophylactic use of psychedelics to prevent psychopathologies associated to chronic stress.
Psicodélicos, Saúde mental, Callithrix jacchus, Profilaxia, Cortisol
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Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte