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Interaction of LSD and other hallucinogens with dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in primate brain: regional differences.

H S Ahn, M H Makman

Brain Research February 1, 1979 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(79)90757-1 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics In vitro biochemical study Peer reviewed
Population Cebus and rhesus monkey brain tissue homogenates (anterior limbic cortex, frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, auditory cortex) and retina
Interventions D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) mescaline methamphetamine dopamine haloperidol fluphenazine phentolamine
Topics LSD Mescaline
Keywords Brain Limbic system Caudate nucleus Frontal lobe Auditory cortex Retina Animals Haplorhini Macaca mulatta Methamphetamine Haloperidol Phentolamine Fluphenazine Receptors, dopamine Drug interactions Adenylyl cyclases
Key points LSD and mescaline stimulated dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in anterior limbic cortex and auditory cortex but not in frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, or retina, with LSD about ten times more potent than mescaline (EC50 0.43 vs 4.5 micromolar) and both producing about 70% maximal stimulation. LSD competitively antagonized dopamine-stimulated activity in all brain regions examined. The authors propose that this region-specific dopamine agonist action may contribute to the behavioral effects of LSD, mescaline, and methamphetamine in primates.

Abstract

The influence of D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and mescaline on adenylate cyclase activity was studied in homogenates of Cebus and rhesus monkey anterior limbic cortex (ALC), frontal cortex (FC), caudate nucleus and retina. Previous studies have shown these tissues to contain dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC). In addition, we are now reporting the presence of a dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in the auditory cortex. AC of ALC and auditory cortex was stimulated by LSD and mescaline, whereas activity of FC, caudate nucleus and retina was not stimulated by the same agents. In contrast to regional specificity for stimulation, LSD was capable of antagonizing dopamine-stimulated activity in all brain regions examined. LSD and mescaline produced similar maximal stimulation (about 70%) of AC of ALC homogenates, but the EC50 for LSD (0.43 micrometer) was about one-tenth that for mescaline (4.5 micrometer). Similar relative potencies were also observed for the auditory cortex enzyme. Although much weaker than LSD, methamphetamine also produced a dose-dependent stimulation of ALC AC. Both agonist and antagonist effects of the hallucinogens appear to involve interaction with dopamine receptors; LSD- or methamphetamine-stimulated activity in ALC was blocked by haloperidol and fluphenazine, which are dopamine antagonists, but not by phentolamine, an alpha-receptor blocker. Antagonism of dopamine by LSD in both ALC and FC was found to be competitive and mescaline was an effective but weaker antagonist than was LSD. In addition, neither histamine--nor Gpp(NH)p--stimulated activity of FC was inhibited by LSD. It is proposed that the occurrence of dopamine agonistic action of hallucinogens in only certain regions of primate brain may provide a basis for at least some of the behavioral effects of LSD, mescaline and methamphetamine in primates.

Comparable studies

Other preclinical and animal studies on LSD, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Transcriptome Fingerprints Distinguish Hallucinogenic and Nonhallucinogenic 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A Receptor Agonist Effects in Mouse Somatosensory Cortex Human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably expressing 5-HT2ARs; wild-type and 5-HT2AR... 2003 Experimental study
Evidence for a central 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor stimulation by lysergic acid diethylamide Rats 1968 Experimental study
Psychedelics, but Not Ketamine, Produce Persistent Antidepressant-like Effects in a Rodent Experimental System for the Study of Depression Rats 2020 Preclinical study
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) promotes social behavior through mTORC1 in the excitatory neurotransmission Male mice 2021 Multidisciplinary experimental study with in vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, behavioral paradigms, molecular biology, and conditional knockout mice
A non-hallucinogenic LSD analog with therapeutic potential for mood disorders. Mice and cultured rat cortical neurons 2023 Preclinical study

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