Avaliação da atividade neuronal em camundongos tratados com 5-MeO-DMT

Abstract

This course completion work verified how 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) can affect neuronal activity in the ventral hippocampus, a brain region related to anxiety. Studies with psychedelics are growing and are moving towards a consensus that they bring numerous benefits to the brain and mental health. Although there is a reasonable number of clinical studies pointing to the benefits of DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, few studies have been carried out in order to unravel the mechanisms of action in neurons, beyond pharmacology. Therefore, we used the technique known as patch clamp to evaluate the electrophysiological properties of dentate gyrus granule cells from mice 5 days after treatment with 5-MeO-DMT, verifying differences in the passive properties of the cell membrane, in addition to changes in the amplitude and frequency of neuronal firings in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region. We found that 5-MeO-DMT leads to a lower steady state frequency in granule cells from mice treated with 5-MeO-DMT compared to control, in addition to greater input resistance (Rin), greater amplitude of afterhyperpolarization (AHP), and a more hyperpolarized resting membrane potential. The results suggest that 5-MeO-DMT produces long-lasting effects in mice, although further studies are needed to solidify the findings.