Salvinorin A fails to substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of LSD or ketamine in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Bryan A Killinger, Mary M Peet, Lisa E Baker
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior September 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.05.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Drug discrimination study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Male Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Interventions | Salvinorin A LSD ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine LSD Salvia divinorum Esketamine |
| Keywords | Atypical hallucinogen Distinct hallucinogen Drug discrimination Behavioral pharmacology Animal models Psychopharmacology Drug differentiation Psychedelics Psychotomimetics Entheogens Dissociatives Traditional hallucinogens Neuropharmacology Drug action Drug profile Mechanisms of action |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key points | Neither LSD nor ketamine discrimination generalized to salvinorin A, indicating it is pharmacologically distinct from these traditional hallucinogens. |
Abstract
Salvia divinorum is a small perennial shrub that has gained recent popularity among the drug-using subculture as a legal alternative to hallucinogens. Salvinorin A, the main active compound found in the S.divinorum plant, is an atypical hallucinogen with pharmacological selectivity at kappa opioid (KOP) receptor sites and is a unique non-nitrogenous neoclerodane diterpene which is structurally distinct from other opioid compounds. The novel structure of salvinorin A and its specific binding affinity to KOP receptors provide a unique opportunity to investigate neurochemical mechanisms of hallucination and hallucinogenic compounds. The current investigation assessed the substitution of salvinorin A in 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats trained to discriminate either the prototypical serotonergic hallucinogen, LSD (0.08mg/kg, S.C., n=8) or the dissociative anesthetic and glutamatergic hallucinogen, ketamine (8.0mg/kg, I.P., n=8) from vehicle under a FR 20 schedule of food-reinforced responding. Results indicated that neither LSD nor ketamine discrimination generalized to salvinorin A. These findings are consistent with the growing body of evidence that salvinorin A is pharmacologically distinct from other traditional hallucinogenic compounds.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of the plant-derived hallucinogen salvinorin A on basal dopamine levels in the caudate putamen and in a conditioned place aversion assay in mice: agonist actions at kappa opioid receptors. Mice | 2005 | Experimental study | |
| Potential anxiolytic‐ and antidepressant‐like effects of salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, in rodents Male Sprague-Dawley rats and male Albino Swiss mice | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Involvement of kappa-opioid and endocannabinoid system on Salvinorin A-induced reward. Wistar rats | 2008 | Experimental study | |
| Role of kappa-opioid receptors in the effects of salvinorin A and ketamine on attention in rats. Rats | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| The plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, produces kappa-opioid agonist-like discriminative effects in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys | 2004 | Experimental study | n = 3 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs. Drug Testing and Analysis 2014
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Animal Models of Serotonergic Psychedelics ACS Chemical Neuroscience September 24, 2012
- Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist hallucinogen: pharmacology and potential template for novel pharmacotherapeutic agents in neuropsychiatric disorders Frontiers in Pharmacology September 8, 2015
- Acute and post-acute behavioral and psychological effects of salvinorin A in humans. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2012
and 16 more in the library
Cites 23
- Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1994
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- The Hallucinogen N,N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Is an Endogenous Sigma-1 Receptor Regulator Science February 13, 2009
- Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 8, 2006
- Psychopharmacology of the hallucinogenic sage Salvia divinorum. Life Sciences December 22, 2005
and 18 more in the library