Assessing the Potential Cardiovascular Risk of Microdosing the Psychedelic LSD in Mice
Devin P. Effinger, Serena S. Schalk, Jillian L. King, Janae R. Wallingford, Casey L. O’connell, Joselynn R. Calderon, Benjamin J. Kopecky, John D. Mccorvy, Scott M. Thompson
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science August 22, 2025 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.5c00202 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Interventions | lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) serotonin d-fenfluramine |
| Dose | two subhallucinogenic doses |
| Duration | 4-week and 8-week |
| Topics | LSD Microdosing |
| Keywords | Pharmacology |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Prolonged administration of low-dose LSD in mice produced no evidence of ventricular or valvular heart remodeling. |
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Microdosing, the prolonged ingestion of psychedelics at subhallucinogenic doses, has gained popularity for its perceived cognitive and emotional benefits. Psychedelics have high affinity for 5-HT 2B receptors, a receptor known to cause human heart disease with strong chronic activation. We investigated the effects of microdosed psychedelics on cardiovascular health in mice using echocardiography after chronically administering either serotonin or d -fenfluramine as positive controls or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) at two subhallucinogenic doses. Serotonin produced significant ventricular thickening at 4- and 8-weeks, and d -fenfluramine caused aortic valve regurgitation at 4-weeks. No significant changes were observed in any vehicle or LSD group. We determined the affinity and potency of LSD, psilocybin, and norfenfluramine at mouse and human 5-HT 2B Rs and observed no significant differences. We calculated that levels of 5-HT 2B activation by low-dose LSD were substantial, but short-lived, compared to the cardiotoxin d -fenfluramine. Together, these data provide no evidence of ventricular or valvular remodeling associated with prolonged administration of low-dose LSD in mice.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on LSD and microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeated microdoses of LSD do not alter anxiety or boldness in zebrafish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| A New Use for an Old Compound: Microdosing LSD to Reduce Fibromyalgia Symptoms Male and female mice with fibromyalgia-like symptoms | 2026 | Preclinical animal study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The science of psychedelic medicine. Nature Medicine February 6, 2026
- Association Between Lifetime Hallucinogen Use and Valvular Heart Disease: Findings from the All of Us Research Program Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 18, 2026
- Cardiac Consequences Associated with Psychedelic Use: A Systematic Review of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2B-Mediated Valvular Heart Disease. Pharmacopsychiatry February 5, 2026
- Molecules, meaning, and physiology: disentangling the active ingredients of psychedelic therapeutics Frontiers in Neuroscience August 3, 2026
Cites 13
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and 8 more in the library