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Martin Kuchař

University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, National Institute of Mental Health

67 papers in the library · 1,442 citations · publishing 2015-2026

Papers

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Prenatal THC exposure drives sex-specific alterations in spatial memory and hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory balance in adolescent rats.

Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie December 1, 2024 Valentina Castelli, Gianluca Lavanco, Giuseppe Tringali et al.

The interaction between the main psychotropic ingredient of Cannabis, Δ⁹- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) is a critical and underrated issue that deserves utmost attention. The ECS, indeed, contributes to the formation and regulation of excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neuronal networks that in the hippocampus underly spatial memory. This study explored...

Psilocybin administered following extinction sessions does not affect subsequent cocaine cue reinstatement in male and female rats and mice.

Neuroscience November 1, 2024 Veronika Pohořalá, Martin Kuchař, Rainer Spanagel et al. 3 citations

There are currently no pharmacological treatments for cocaine use disorder. Recently there has been a great deal of interest in the potential of psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin to treat psychiatric disorders. Human studies have indicated that a single administration of psilocybin can have long-lasting effects. Few preclinical studies have examined a role for psilocybin in addiction models....

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC): pharmacokinetics, systemic toxicity, and acute behavioural effects in Wistar rats.

October 2, 2024 Klára Šíchová, Barbara Mallarino, Lucie Janeckova et al.

Background and purpose: Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a novel psychoactive substance that has gained attention due to its psychotropic effects and temporary legal status. It is widely abused in several EU and US countries, where it serves as a legal and easily accessible alternative to ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC). Despite its widespread use, few studies have examined its in vivo effects...

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) driven activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 results in biased intracellular signaling

Scientific Reports April 22, 2024 Oleh Durydivka, Petr Palivec, Matej Gazdarica et al. 7 citations

Abstract The Cannabis sativa plant has been used for centuries as a recreational drug and more recently in the treatment of patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders. In many instances, treatment goals include relief from posttraumatic disorders, anxiety, or to support treatment of chronic pain. Ligands acting on cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) are also potential targets for the...

Prefrontal Electrophysiological Biomarkers and Mechanism-Based Drug Effects in a Rat Model of Alcohol Addiction

Research Square February 22, 2024 Bettina Habelt, Dzmitry Afanasenkau, Cindy Schwarz et al.

Abstract Current treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) show large heterogeneity in response and thus limited effectiveness and high relapse rates. A precision medicine approach with biomarkers responsive to new treatments is warranted to overcome this limitation. Promising biomarkers relate to prefrontal control mechanisms that are severely disturbed in AUD. This results in reduced...

Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats

Translational Psychiatry December 14, 2023 Ivan Skorodumov, Rainer Spanagel, Jonathan R Reinwald et al. 25 citations

Abstract Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) adversely affects the lives of millions of people, but still lacks effective treatment options. Recent advancements in psychedelic research suggest psilocybin to be potentially efficacious for AUD. However, major knowledge gaps remain regarding (1) psilocybin’s general mode of action and (2) AUD-specific alterations of responsivity to psilocybin treatment in...

Cannabidiol tempers alcohol intake and neuroendocrine and behavioural correlates in alcohol binge drinking adolescent rats. Focus on calcitonin gene‐related peptide's brain levels

Phytotherapy Research July 31, 2023 Giuseppe Tringali, Gianluca Lavanco, Valentina Castelli et al. 17 citations

Alcohol binge drinking is common among adolescents and may challenge the signalling systems that process affective stimuli, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signalling. Here, we employed a rat model of adolescent binge drinking to evaluate reward-, social- and aversion-related behaviour, glucocorticoid output and CGRP levels in affect-related brain regions. As a potential...

Underlying pharmacological mechanisms of psilocin-induced broadband desynchronization and disconnection of EEG in rats

Frontiers in Neuroscience June 22, 2023 Filip Tylš, Čestmír Vejmola, Vlastimil Koudelka et al. 9 citations

Introduction Psilocybin is one of the most extensively studied psychedelic drugs with a broad therapeutic potential. Despite the fact that its psychoactivity is mainly attributed to the agonism at 5-HT 2A receptors, it has high binding affinity also to 5-HT 2C and 5-HT 1A receptors and indirectly modulates the dopaminergic system. Psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin, as well as other...

The Effects of Peripubertal THC Exposure in Neurodevelopmental Rat Models of Psychopathology

International Journal of Molecular Sciences February 15, 2023 Martina di Bartolomeo, Tibor Stark, Serena di Martino et al. 23 citations

Adolescent exposure to cannabinoids as a postnatal environmental insult may increase the risk of psychosis in subjects exposed to perinatal insult, as suggested by the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia. Here, we hypothesized that peripubertal Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (aTHC) may affect the impact of prenatal methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) or perinatal THC (pTHC) exposure in adult rats. We...

Acute pharmacological profile of 2C-B-Fly-NBOMe in male Wistar rats-pharmacokinetics, effects on behaviour and thermoregulation.

Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023 Kateřina Syrová, Klára Šíchová, Hynek Danda et al. 4 citations

Introduction: N-2-methoxy-benzylated ("NBOMe") analogues of phenethylamine are a group of new psychoactive substances (NPS) with reported strong psychedelic effects in sub-milligram doses linked to a number of severe intoxications, including fatal ones. In our present work, we provide a detailed investigation of pharmacokinetics and acute behavioural effects of 2C-B-Fly-NBOMe...

4-Isobutylmethcathinone—A Novel Synthetic Cathinone with High In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Strong Receptor Binding Preference of Enantiomers

Pharmaceuticals November 30, 2022 Martin Paškan, Silvie Rimpelová, Vladimíra Svobodová Pavlíčková et al. 9 citations

New psychoactive substances and among them synthetic cathinones represent a significant threat to human health globally. However, within such a large pool of substances derived from a natural compound ((S)-cathinone), substances with important pharmaceutical uses can be identified, as already documented by bupropione. Therefore, this work aimed to find a synthetic pathway for a novel synthetic...

Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids

International Journal of Molecular Sciences November 15, 2022 Klára Gotvaldová, Jan Borovička, Kateřina Hájková et al. 50 citations

Since not only psilocybin (PSB) but also PSB-containing mushrooms are used for psychedelic therapy and microdosing, it is necessary to know their concentration variability in wild-grown mushrooms. This article aimed to determine the PSB, psilocin (PS), baeocystin (BA), norbaeocystin (NB), and aeruginascin (AE) concentrations in a large sample set of mushrooms belonging to genera previously...

Natural language signatures of psilocybin microdosing.

Psychopharmacology September 1, 2022 Camila Sanz, Federico Cavanna, Stephanie Müller et al. 1 citation

Serotonergic psychedelics are being studied as novel treatments for mental health disorders and as facilitators of improved well-being, mental function, and creativity. Recent studies have found mixed results concerning the effects of low doses of psychedelics ("microdosing") on these domains. However, microdosing is generally investigated using instruments designed to assess larger doses of...

Pharmacokinetics, systemic toxicity, thermoregulation and acute behavioural effects of 25CN‐NBOMe

Addiction Biology August 4, 2022 Klára Šíchová, Kateřina Syrová, Edita Kofroňová et al. 8 citations

agonists containing substances emerging on the illicit drug market as a replacement for N,N-diethyllysergamide (LSD). Despite the increasing use of NBOMes for diagnostic, research and recreational purposes, only a limited number of studies have focussed on their in vivo effect. Here, we investigated pharmacokinetics, systemic toxicity, thermoregulation in individually and group-housed animals,...

Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study

Translational Psychiatry August 2, 2022 Federico Cavanna, Stephanie Müller, Laura Alethia de la Fuente et al. 130 citations

Abstract The use of low sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics (“microdosing”) has gained popularity in recent years. Although anecdotal reports claim multiple benefits associated with this practice, the lack of placebo-controlled studies severely limits our knowledge of microdosing and its effects. Moreover, research conducted in standard laboratory settings could fail to capture the motivation...

Psilocybin—Mediated Attenuation of Gamma Band Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSR) Is Driven by the Intensity of Cognitive and Emotional Domains of Psychedelic Experience

Journal of Personalized Medicine June 19, 2022 Vojtěch Viktorin, Inga Griškova-bulanova, Aleksandras Voicikas et al. 19 citations

Psilocybin is a classical serotoninergic psychedelic that induces cognitive disruptions similar to psychosis. Gamma activity is affected in psychosis and is tightly related to cognitive processing. The 40 Hz auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) are frequently used as indicators to test the ability to generate gamma activity. Based on previous literature, we studied the impact of psilocybin on...

Intriguing Cytotoxicity of the Street Dissociative Anesthetic Methoxphenidine: Unexpected Impurities Spotted

International Journal of Molecular Sciences February 14, 2022 Bronislav Jurásek, Silvie Rimpelová, Martin Babor et al. 7 citations

The black market for new psychoactive substances has been constantly evolving and the substances that appear on this market cause a considerable number of issues, in extreme cases leading to human deaths. While monitoring the drug black market, we detected a sample of a dissociative anesthetic methoxphenidine, the salt of which contained an unusual anion in the form of bromo- and chloro-zincate...

Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and behavioural studies of deschloroketamine in Wistar rats.

British Journal of Pharmacology 2022 Kristýna Štefková-mazochová, Hynek Danda, Wim Dehaen et al. 13 citations

Deschloroketamine (DCK), a structural analogue of ketamine, has recently emerged on the illicit drug market as a recreational drug with a modestly long duration of action. Despite it being widely used by recreational users, no systematic research on its effects has been performed to date. Pharmacokinetics, acute effects, and addictive potential in a series of behavioural tests in Wistar rats...

Psilocybin microdosing does not affect emotion-related symptoms and processing: A preregistered field and lab-based study

Journal of Psychopharmacology December 17, 2021 Josephine Marschall, George Fejer, Pascal Lempe et al. 69 citations

Background: Microdoses of psychedelics (i.e. a sub-hallucinogenic dose taken every third day) can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress according to anecdotal reports and observational studies. Research with medium to high doses of psilocybin points towards potential underlying mechanisms, including the modulation of emotion and interoceptive processing. Aims: In this preregistered...

Microevidence for microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study of subjective effects, behavior, creativity, perception, cognition, and brain activity

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) December 7, 2021 Federico Cavanna, Stephanie Müller, Laura Alethia de la Fuente et al. 8 citations preprint

Abstract The use of low sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics (“microdosing”) has gained popularity in recent years. Although anecdotal reports claim multiple benefits associated with this practice, the lack of placebo-controlled studies limits our knowledge of microdosing and its effects. Moreover, research conducted in laboratory settings might fail to capture the motivation of individuals...

2C-B-Fly-NBOMe Metabolites in Rat Urine, Human Liver Microsomes and C. elegans: Confirmation with Synthesized Analytical Standards.

Metabolites November 12, 2021 Jitka Nykodemová, Anna Šuláková, Petr Palivec et al. 14 citations

Compounds from the N-benzylphenethylamine (NBPEA) class of novel psychoactive substances are being increasingly utilized in neurobiological and clinical research, as diagnostic tools, or for recreational purposes. To understand the pharmacology, safety, or potential toxicity of these substances, elucidating their metabolic fate is therefore of the utmost interest. Several studies on NBPEA...

Microdosing psychedelics and its effect on creativity: Lessons learned from three double-blind placebo controlled longitudinal trials

June 14, 2021 Luisa Prochazkova, Michiel van Elk, Josephine Marschall et al. 4 citations preprint

Introduction: Microdosing refers to the repetitive administration of tiny doses of psychedelics (LSD, Psilocybin) over an extended period of time. This practice has been linked to alleged cognitive benefits, such as improved mood and creativity, potentiated by targeting serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors and facilitating cognitive flexibility. Nonetheless, in the absence of robust, quantitative and...

Effects of psilocybin microdosing on awe and aesthetic experiences: a preregistered field and lab-based study

Psychopharmacology April 30, 2021 Michiel van Elk, George Fejer, Pascal Lempe et al. 53 citations

Abstract There is an increased societal trend to engage in microdosing, in which small sub-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelics are consumed on a regular basis. Following subjective reports that microdosing enhances the experience of nature and art, in the present study we set out to study the effects of psilocybin microdosing on feelings of awe and art perception. In this preregistered...

25CN-NBOMe Metabolites in Rat Urine, Human Liver Microsomes and C. elegans—Structure Determination and Synthesis of the Most Abundant Metabolites

Metabolites March 31, 2021 Anna Šuláková, Jitka Nykodemová, Petr Palivec et al. 11 citations

N-Benzylphenethylamines are novel psychedelic substances increasingly used for research, diagnostic, or recreational purposes. To date, only a few metabolism studies have been conducted for N-2-methoxybenzylated compounds (NBOMes). Thus, the available 2,5-dimethoxy-4-(2-((2-methoxybenzyl)amino)ethyl)benzonitrile (25CN-NBOMe) metabolism data are limited. Herein, we investigated the metabolic...