Harmine exerts anxiolytic effects by regulating neuroinflammation and neuronal plasticity in the basolateral amygdala.
International Immunopharmacology May 5, 2023 Zhi-Heng Zheng, Xing-Cheng Lin, Ying-ling Lu et al.
Harmine, a compound found in certain medicinal plants, reduces anxiety-like behaviors in mice by calming brain inflammation and restoring normal nerve cell activity. In a mouse model where anxiety was triggered by a bacterial immune challenge, harmine lowered levels of inflammatory proteins IL-1β and TNF-α in the brain. It also corrected an overactive connection between the medial prefrontal cortex and the basolateral amygdala, rebalancing excitatory and inhibitory signals. Additionally, harmine reduced the heightened excitability of amygdala neurons. These results suggest harmine may work as an anxiety treatment by both reducing neuroinflammation and reversing stress-related changes in brain cell communication.