Publications

When danger is perceived, the human body responds to overcome obstacles and survive a stressful situation; however, sustained levels of stress are associated with health disorders and diminished life quality. Hence, stress biomarkers are monitored to control stress quantitatively. Herein, a porous sensor (4l-COP/p) composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-co-N-methylpyrrole) (COP), which is prepared in a four-layered fashion to detect dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT), is presented. Specifically, the detection is conducted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), as well as artificial urine and sweat, by applying cyclic voltammetry. The limit of detection values obtained are as low as 5.7 x 10(-6) and 1.4 x 10(-6) m for DA and 5-HT, respectively, when assessed individually in artificial urine. When mixed in PBS, 4l-COP/p detects both biomarkers with a resolution of 0.18 V and a sensitivity of 40 and 30 mu A mm(-1) for DA and 5-HT, respectively. Additionally, by theoretical calculations, the interaction pattern that each stress biomarker establishes with the PEDOT outer layer is elucidated. Whereas DA interacts with the pi-system of PEDOT, 5-HT forms specific hydrogen bonds with the conducting polymer chains. The resolution value obtained depends upon such interactions. Overall, 4l-COP/p electrodes display potential as stress sensing devices for healthcare technologies.

JTD Keywords: Artificial body fluids, Boron-doped diamond, Cortisol, Cyclic voltammetry, Dopamine, Multilayered films, Paper, Saliva, Selective detection, Sensor, Sensors, Serotonin, Serum

There has been a renewed interest in the potential use of psychedelics for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanism of action and molecular pathways influenced by ayahuasca use in humans. Therefore, for the first time, our study aims to investigate the human metabolomics signature after consumption of a psychedelic, ayahuasca, and its connection with both the psychedelic-induced subjective effects and the plasma concentrations of ayahuasca alkaloids. Plasma samples of 23 individuals were collected both before and after ayahuasca consumption. Samples were analysed through targeted metabolomics and further integrated with subjective ratings of the ayahuasca experience (i.e., using the 5-Dimension Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale [ASC]), and plasma ayahuasca-alkaloids using integrated network analysis. Metabolic pathways enrichment analysis using diffusion algorithms for specific KEGG modules was performed on the metabolic output. Compared to baseline, the consumption of ayahuasca increased N-acyl-ethanolamine endocannabinoids, decreased 2-acyl-glycerol endocannabinoids, and altered several large-neutral amino acids (LNAAs). Integrated network results indicated that most of the LNAAs were inversely associated with 9 out of the 11 subscales of the ASC, except for tryptophan which was positively associated. Several endocannabinoids and hexosylceramides were directly associated with the ayahuasca alkaloids. Enrichment analysis confirmed dysregulation in several pathways involved in neurotransmission such as serotonin and dopamine synthesis. In conclusion, a crosstalk between the circulating LNAAs and the subjective effects is suggested, which is independent of the alkaloid concentrations and provides insights into the specific metabolic fingerprint and mechanism of action underlying ayahuasca experiences. © 2022 The Authors

JTD Keywords: anxiety, ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, integrative network analysis, metabolism, metabolomics, psychedelics, rats, subjective effects, system, tryptophan, Ayahuasca, Dimethyltryptamine, Integrative network analysis, Metabolomics, Psychedelics, Serotonin 5-ht2a, Subjective effects