Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
June 20, 2026
Agnieszka Bysiek, Izabela Szpręgiel, Adam Wojtas et al.
Psychedelics have emerged as a promising novel therapeutic approach for major depressive disorder (MDD). Altered activity and structural atrophy of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and limbic structures are associated with depressive disorders. Psilocybin may reverse the loss of synaptic connections and restore the function of these brain regions. In this study, we investigated the effects...
Pharmacological reports : PR
February 1, 2026
Zuzanna Kościuk, Izabela Szpręgiel, Agnieszka Bysiek et al.
2 citations
The claustrum, a subcortical structure densely expressing 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 A (5-HT2A) receptors, has been implicated in sensory integration, emotional regulation, salience, and attention. Despite its hypothesized involvement in the effects of serotonergic psychedelics, the neurochemical impact of these substances on claustral neurotransmission remains unexplored. This study aimed to...
Pharmacological Reports
January 20, 2026
Piotr Olejnik, Katarzyna Kamińska, Krystyna Gołembiowska et al.
INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin, a classic serotonergic psychedelic, has antidepressant, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. However, the immunomodulatory effects of psilocybin within the central nervous system, particularly on microglial activation, remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of psilocybin on microglial activation markers and...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Yana Babii, C. Barbara, Dorota Bederska‐łojewska et al.
Abstract Background Numerous data indicates that hallucinogens from various groups such as ketamine, scopolamine or psilocybin exert rapid antidepressant effects in both preclinical and clinical studies. Group II glutamate (mGlu) metabotropic receptor antagonists also show rapid antidepressant efficacy in animal studies, moreover we have shown that mGluR2/3 antagonist, LY341495 is able to...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
April 17, 2025
Artur Pałasz, Marta Pukowiec, Katarzyna Bogus et al.
Objective: Psychedelics are able to trigger highly intense and profound alterations in self-consciousness, perception, affective, and cognitive processes. Indeed, recent studies show that ketamine and psilocybin could be used as fast-acting antidepressants. However, the molecular and neurochemical mechanisms of these psychedelics and their actions at the level of diverse brain structures...
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
April 2, 2025
Agnieszka Bysiek, Adam Wojtas, Izabela Szpręgiel et al.
10 citations
Psilocybin has various therapeutic effects in mental and psychological disorders, including depression and mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, substance addiction and anxiety. Pharmacodynamic properties of psilocybin depend on doses used and time after administration. The psilocybin dose range varies depending on whether it is used therapeutically or for recreational purposes in...
Kosmos
August 8, 2024
Krystyna Gołembiowska, K. Kamińska
Psychedelics known for mankind from millennia are class of compounds that alter consciousness, affect perception and produce hallucinations. Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, mescaline, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have pharmacodynamic serotonergic effects. They are known to exert profound effects on neuroplasticity i.e. alteration of neuronal structure...
Kosmos
August 8, 2024
Krystyna Gołembiowska
Editorial
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
December 23, 2023
Adam Wojtas, Krystyna Gołembiowska
16 citations
Psychedelics belong to the oldest psychoactive drugs. They arouse recent interest due to their therapeutic applications in the treatment of major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, end-of-life anxiety,= and anxiety symptoms, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. In this review, the current state of preclinical research on the mechanism of action, neurotoxicity, and behavioral impact of...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
December 20, 2023
Adam Wojtas, Agnieszka Bysiek, Marzena Maćkowiak et al.
16 citations
The pathophysiology of depression is related to the reduced volume of the hippocampus and amygdala and hypertrophy of the nucleus accumbens. The mechanism of these changes is not well understood; however, clinical studies have shown that the administration of the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine reversed the decrease in hippocampus and amygdala volume in depressed patients, and the magnitude...
Neuropharmacology
December 1, 2023
Adam Wojtas, Monika Herian, Marzena Maćkowiak et al.
6 citations
2-(4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)etanoamine (25B-NBOMe) is a highly selective 5-HT2A receptor agonist, exhibiting a potent hallucinogenic activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a 7-day treatment with 25B-NBOMe in a dose of 0.3 mg/kg on the following: the neurotransmitter release in vivo using microdialysis in freely moving animals, hallucinogenic...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
June 16, 2022
Adam Wojtas, Agnieszka Bysiek, Agnieszka Wawrzczak-Bargieła et al.
110 citations
Clinical studies provide evidence that ketamine and psilocybin could be used as fast-acting antidepressants, though their mechanisms and toxicity are still not fully understood. To address this issue, we have examined the effect of a single administration of ketamine and psilocybin on the extracellular levels of neurotransmitters in the rat frontal cortex and reticular nucleus of the thalamus...
Scientific Reports
February 21, 2022
Monika Herian, Adam Wojtas, Marzena Maćkowiak et al.
15 citations
4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a new psychoactive substance with strong hallucinogenic properties. Our previous data reported increased release of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate after acute injections and a tolerance development in the neurotransmitters release and rats' behavior after chronic treatment with 25I-NBOMe. The recreational use of 25I-NBOMe...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2022
Micaela Tirri, Sabrine Bilel, Raffaella Arfè et al.
17 citations
In the last decade, the market for new psychoactive substances has been enriched by numerous psychedelic phenethylamines, which mimic the psychoactive effect of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). In particular, the -NBOMe series, which are more potent than their 2C compounds analogs, are considered worthy substitutes for LSD by users. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of...
Experimental Neurology
October 1, 2021
Giulia Costa, Krystyna Gołembiowska
64 citations
Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy'), in addition to having abuse potential, may elicit acute and persistent abnormalities of varying severity at the central level. Importantly, neurotoxic effects of MDMA have been demonstrated in experimental animals. Accordingly, central toxicity induced by MDMA may pose a serious harm for health,...
Psychopharmacology
May 25, 2021
Monika Herian, Mateusz Skawski, Adam Wojtas et al.
29 citations
Abstract Rationale 4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a potent serotonin 5-HT 2A/2C receptor agonist with hallucinogenic activity. There is no data on the 25I-NBOMe effect on brain neurotransmission and animal performance after chronic administration. Objectives We examined the effect of a 7-day treatment with 25I-NBOMe (0.3 mg/kg/day) on neurotransmitters’...
Handbook of Neurotoxicity
2021
Krystyna Gołembiowska
Psychedelics are drugs that alter consciousness and affect human psyche. 5-Methoxy- N,N -diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT) emerged in the recreational drug market with the street name “foxy” and has been increasingly used as a substitute for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) . 5-MeO-DIPT is a competitive inhibitor of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter...
Neurotoxicity Research
December 18, 2020
Adam Wojtas, Monika Herian, Mateusz Skawski et al.
33 citations
Abstract 4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25B-NBOMe) is a hallucinogen exhibiting high binding affinity for 5-HT 2A/C serotonin receptors. In the present work, we investigated its effect on dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), acetylcholine (ACh), and glutamate release in the rat frontal cortex, striatum, and nucleus accumbens. Hallucinogenic activity, impact on cognitive...
Pharmacological reports : PR
December 1, 2020
Monika Herian, Adam Wojtas, Małgorzata Katarzyna Sobocińska et al.
19 citations
4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a potent serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist with hallucinogenic properties. The aim of our research was to examine the role of the 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A serotonin receptor subtypes in 25I-NBOMe hallucinogenic activity and its effect on dopamine (DA), 5-HT and glutamate release in the rat frontal cortex. Hallucinogenic...
Neurotoxicity Research
April 15, 2019
Monika Herian, Adam Wojtas, Katarzyna Kamińska et al.
44 citations
NBOMes are N-benzylmethoxy derivatives of the 2C family hallucinogens. 4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is one of the commonly used illicit drugs. It exhibits high binding affinity for 5-HT 2A/C and 5-HT 1A serotonin receptors. Activation of 5-HT 2A receptor induces head-twitch response (HTR) in rodents, a behavioral marker of hallucinogen effect in humans....
Pharmacological reports : PR
October 1, 2018
Karolina Noworyta-Sokołowska, Anna Maria Górska, Krystyna Gołembiowska
5 citations
According to the European Drug Report, the use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is constantly growing. NPS are widely abused by human adolescent subjects. 5-Methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT) is one of the most frequently used hallucinogenic NPS. 5-MeO-DIPT intoxication results in hallucinations, vomiting, and tachycardia. Long-term exposure to 5-MeO-DIPT was reported to lead...
Neurotoxicity Research
July 26, 2016
Karolina Noworyta, Katarzyna Kamińska, Grzegorz Kreiner et al.
26 citations
5-Methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT, 'foxy') is one of the most popular tryptamine hallucinogens in the illicit drug market. It produces serious adverse effects, but its pharmacological profile is not well recognized. In vitro data have shown that 5-MeO-DIPT acts as a potent serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitor and displays high affinity at serotonin 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT2C...
Neurotoxicity Research
April 1, 2016
Krystyna Gołembiowska, Alexandra Jurczak, Katarzyna Kamińska et al.
New psychoactive “designer drugs” are synthetic compounds developed to provide similar effects to illicit drugs of abuse, but not subjected to legal control. The rapidly changing legal status of novel psychoactive drugs triggers the development of new compounds, analogs of well-known amphetamine or mescaline. New designer drugs used as substitutes in ecstasy pills are the least investigated and...
Neurotoxicity Research
November 13, 2014
Anna Górska, Krystyna Gołembiowska
36 citations
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") popular as a designer drug is often used with caffeine to gain a stronger stimulant effect. MDMA induces 5-HT and DA release by interaction with monoamine transporters. Co-administration of caffeine and MDMA may aggravate MDMA-induced toxic effects on DA and 5-HT terminals. In the present study, we determined whether caffeine influences DA and...
Herian Monika, Wojtas Adam, Maćkowiak Marzena et al.
Abstract 4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-N-(2-methoxybenzyl)phenethylamine (25I-NBOMe) is a new psychoactive substance with strong hallucinogenic properties. Our previous data reported increased release of dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate after acute injections and a tolerance development in the neurotransmitters release and rats’ behavior after chronic treatment with 25I-NBOMe. The recreational use of...