Gaddum and LSD: the birth and growth of experimental and clinical neuropharmacology research on 5‐HT in the UK
British Journal of Pharmacology June 2, 2008 DOI: 10.1038/bjp.2008.207 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD Serotonin |
| Keywords | Neuropharmacology 5-HT Receptor Mood Antidepressant |
| Citations | 30 |
| Key findings | UK scientists in the first 20 years after serotonin's identification made major advances in understanding 5-HT's role in the brain, including showing that LSD antagonizes 5-HT and that antidepressant drugs alter brain 5-HT concentration, laying groundwork for the serotonin theory of mood regulation. |
Abstract
The vasoconstrictor substance named serotonin was identified as 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) by Maurice Rapport in 1949. In 1951, Rapport gave Gaddum samples of 5‐HT substance allowing him to develop a bioassay to both detect and measure the amine. Gaddum and colleagues rapidly identified 5‐HT in brain and showed that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) antagonized its action in peripheral tissues. Gaddum accordingly postulated that 5‐HT might have a role in mood regulation. This review examines the role of UK scientists in the first 20 years following these major discoveries, discussing their role in developing assays for 5‐HT in the CNS, identifying the enzymes involved in the synthesis and metabolism of 5‐HT and investigating the effect of drugs on brain 5‐HT. It reviews studies on the effects of LSD in humans, including Gaddum's self‐administration experiments. It outlines investigations on the role of 5‐HT in psychiatric disorders, including studies on the effect of antidepressant drugs on the 5‐HT concentration in rodent and human brain, and the attempts to examine 5‐HT biochemistry in the brains of patients with depressive illness. It is clear that a rather small group of both preclinical scientists and psychiatrists in the UK made major advances in our understanding of the role of 5‐HT in the brain, paving the way for much of the knowledge now taken for granted when discussing ways that 5‐HT might be involved in the control of mood and the idea that therapeutic drugs used to alleviate psychiatric illness might alter the function of cerebral 5‐HT. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 154 , 1583–1599; doi: 10.1038/bjp.2008.207 ; published online 26 May 2008
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review | 2008 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE | 1984 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2017
- Unifying Theories of Psychedelic Drug Effects Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2018
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) ACS Chemical Neuroscience February 20, 2018
- Preclinical perspectives on the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic actions of psilocybin in psychiatric disorders Neuropharmacology March 13, 2023
- Psychedelics as potential catalysts of scientific creativity and insight Drug Science, Policy and Law 2022
and 4 more in the library
Cites 3
- Antagonism of 5‐hydroxytryptamine by LSD 25 in the central nervous system: a possible neuronal basis for the actions of LSD 25 British Journal of Pharmacology October 1, 1970
- How LSD Originated Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 1979
- Alleviation of the Psychological Effects of LSD in Man by 5-Hydroxytryptophan Journal of Mental Science October 1, 1958