22-azidosalvinorin A exhibits antidepressant-like effect in mice.
European journal of pharmacology April 5, 2017 James Oluwagbamigbe Fajemiroye, Polepally Reddy Prabhakar, Luiz Carlos da Cunha et al.
A derivative of the hallucinogen salvinorin A, called 22-azidosalvinorin A (SA2), shows antidepressant-like effects in mice. Oral treatment with SA2 at doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg reduced immobility in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test without affecting general locomotion, indicating an antidepressant-like property. This effect was not blocked by serotonin depletion or a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, but was blocked by depleting catecholamines or blocking α1-adrenoceptors. SA2 mildly inhibited monoamine oxidase and showed affinity for α1A, α1B, α1D, and κ-opioid receptor subtypes, suggesting its antidepressant-like action is mediated through monoamine systems.