Human Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2011 Dec;31(6):717-26. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e31823607f6.
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychotropic plant tea combining the 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting β-carboline alkaloids that render DMT orally active. The tea, obtained from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, has traditionally been used for religious, ritual, and medicinal purposes by the indigenous peoples of the region. More recently, the syncretistic religious use of ayahuasca has expanded to the United States and Europe. Here we conducted a double-blind randomized crossover clinical trial to investigate the physiological impact of ayahuasca in terms of autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immunomodulatory effects. An oral dose of encapsulated freeze-dried ayahuasca (1.0 mg DMT/kg body weight) was compared versus a placebo and versus a positive control (20 mg d-amphetamine) in a group of 10 healthy volunteers. Ayahuasca led to measurable DMT plasma levels and distinct subjective and neurophysiological effects that were absent after amphetamine. Both drugs increased pupillary diameter, with ayahuasca showing milder effects. Prolactin levels were significantly increased by ayahuasca but not by amphetamine, and cortisol was increased by both, with ayahuasca leading to the higher peak values. Ayahuasca and amphetamine induced similar time-dependent modifications in lymphocyte subpopulations. Percent CD4 and CD3 were decreased, whereas natural killer cells were increased. Maximum changes occurred around 2 hours, returning to baseline levels at 24 hours. In conclusion, ayahuasca displayed moderate sympathomimetic effects, significant neuroendocrine stimulation, and a time-dependent modulatory effect on cell-mediated immunity. Future studies on the health impact of long-term ayahuasca consumption should consider the assessment of immunological status in regular users.
水苏碱是一种亚马逊精神活性植物茶，结合了 5-HT2A 激动剂 N，N-二甲基色胺（DMT）和单胺氧化酶抑制β-咔啉生物碱，使 DMT 具有口服活性。该茶由 Banisteriopsis caapi 和 Psychotria viridis 制成，传统上被该地区的土著人民用于宗教、仪式和药用目的。最近，水苏碱的融合宗教用途已经扩展到美国和欧洲。在这里，我们进行了一项双盲随机交叉临床试验，以研究水苏碱在自主神经、神经内分泌和免疫调节作用方面的生理影响。在一组 10 名健康志愿者中，比较了口服封装冻干水苏碱（1.0mg DMT/kg 体重）与安慰剂和阳性对照（20mg d-苯丙胺）的效果。水苏碱导致可测量的 DMT 血浆水平和明显的主观和神经生理效应，而苯丙胺则没有。两种药物均增加瞳孔直径，水苏碱的作用较温和。水苏碱显著增加催乳素水平，但苯丙胺没有，两者均增加皮质醇水平，水苏碱导致更高的峰值。水苏碱和苯丙胺诱导类似的时间依赖性淋巴细胞亚群变化。CD4 和 CD3 的百分比降低，而自然杀伤细胞增加。最大变化发生在大约 2 小时，24 小时后恢复到基线水平。总之，水苏碱表现出适度的拟交感神经作用、显著的神经内分泌刺激以及对细胞介导免疫的时间依赖性调节作用。关于长期水苏碱消费对健康影响的未来研究应考虑对常规使用者免疫状态的评估。
