Lysergic Acid Diethylamide- and Mescaline-Induced Attenuation of the Effect of Punishment in the Rat
Science – May 21, 1976
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
At just 1 microgram per kilogram, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) reduced the impact of electric shocks on licking behavior in rats. Mescaline also showed similar effects, while dimethyltryptamine and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol did not influence behavior. Notably, drugs like cyproheptadine, which disrupt serotonin neuron functions, produced effects akin to LSD and mescaline. These findings suggest that the behavioral changes induced by these hallucinogens may stem from a decrease in serotonin activity, highlighting intriguing plant and fungal interactions with neurotransmitter receptors.
Abstract
At a dose as low as 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) significantly decreased the suppressive effect of electric shock on licking behavior of the rat. Attenuation of punishment was also obtained with mescaline, but neither dimethyltryptamine nor Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol was active in this test. Cyproheptadine and α-propyldopacetamide, drugs that interfere with the function of neurons that contain serotonin, have a behavioral effect similar to that of LSD and mescaline, which suggests that the attenuation of punishment produced by these hallucinogens may result from decreased activity of such neurons.