Lysergic acid diethylamide induces increased signalling entropy in rats’ prefrontal cortex
Journal of Neurochemistry – November 03, 2021
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelics like Lysergic acid diethylamide show remarkable promise for treating psychiatric conditions. Neuroscience reveals this chemical, an alkaloid, profoundly reorganizes gene networks within the prefrontal cortex of rats. Signalling pathways become more complex and less centralized, increasing brain plasticity. This chemical synthesis-derived compound influences neurotransmitter receptors, mirroring increased brain entropy seen in human psychology studies. Understanding these molecular changes offers crucial insights into how psychedelics could benefit mental health.
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic drugs are gaining attention from the scientific community as potential new compounds for the treatment of psychiatric diseases such as mood and substance use disorders. The 5‐HT 2A receptor has been identified as the main molecular target, and early studies pointed to an effect on the expression of neuroplasticity genes. Analysing RNA‐seq data from the prefrontal cortex of rats chronically treated with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), we describe the psychedelic‐induced rewiring of gene co‐expression networks, which become less centralised but more complex, with an overall increase in signalling entropy typical of highly plastic systems. Intriguingly, signalling entropy mirrors, at the molecular level, the increased brain entropy reported through neuroimaging studies in human, suggesting the underlying mechanisms of higher‐order phenomena. Moreover, from the analysis of network topology, we identify potential transcriptional regulators and propose the involvement of different cell types in psychedelics’ activity. image