Effects of repeated lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the mouse brain endocannabinoidome and gut microbiome.
British journal of pharmacology March 1, 2023 Antonio Inserra, Giada Giorgini, Sebastien Lacroix et al. 38 citations
Repeated doses of LSD increase social behavior in male mice and alter brain chemistry and gut bacteria. LSD raised social preference and novelty seeking. In the hippocampus, LSD lowered several endocannabinoid-like compounds, including anandamide and related N-acylethanolamines, certain monoacylglycerols, prostaglandins, thromboxane, and kynurenine. The prefrontal cortex showed fewer changes. LSD also reduced the diversity of gut bacteria, prevented a shift in the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio, and changed the abundance of specific bacterial groups such as Bifidobacterium. These findings suggest that the prosocial effects of LSD involve the hippocampal endocannabinoidome and kynurenine pathway, along with gut microbiome alterations.