British journal of pharmacology
January 1, 2022
Kristýna Štefková-mazochová, Hynek Danda, Wim Dehaen et al.
13 citations
Deschloroketamine (DCK), a structural analogue of ketamine sold as a recreational drug, was tested in Wistar rats to examine its pharmacokinetics, acute effects, and addictive potential. DCK rapidly entered the brain, with peak levels at 30 minutes and sustained high levels for 2 hours. It blocks NMDA receptors similarly to ketamine, with the S-enantiomer more potent. DCK stimulated locomotion, induced place preference (a sign of reward), and strongly disrupted prepulse inhibition (PPI). Locomotor stimulation faded faster than PPI disruption. S-DCK had stronger stimulatory effects than R-DCK, but both equally disrupted PPI. DCK's behavioral and addictive profiles resemble ketamine's, with a slightly slower clearance, matching its reported longer duration. These findings clarify risks of illicit DCK use.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
March 20, 2025
Kristýna Štefková-mazochová, Hynek Danda, Vladimír Mazoch et al.
3 citations
Methoxphenidine (MXP), a new psychoactive substance, rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier in Wistar rats, reaching peak concentrations in serum and brain 30 minutes after injection, with a half-life of 2.15 hours. Low to moderate doses (10-20 mg/kg) increase locomotor activity in an open field test, while a higher dose (40 mg/kg) decreases it. All doses disrupt sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition), an effect linked to psychosis. MXP shows moderate acute toxicity with an estimated LD50 of 500 mg/kg subcutaneously. The drug exhibits a profile similar to dissociative anesthetics, producing stimulant and anxiogenic effects at lower doses and sedative effects at higher doses, indicating risks of serious adverse health outcomes from recreational use.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
July 5, 2025
Hynek Danda, Kristýna Mazochová, Klára Šíchová et al.
1 citation
Baeocystin, a compound found in psychoactive mushrooms, has minimal to no behavioral effects in rats, likely because it poorly crosses the blood-brain barrier. After subcutaneous doses of 1.25 or 5 mg/kg, baeocystin and its metabolite norpsilocin showed very limited brain penetration. Consistent with this, the compound had no significant effects on locomotor activity, exploratory behavior, anxiety-like responses, or sensorimotor gating in Wistar rats. The findings suggest baeocystin's negligible neurobiological and psychedelic activity is due to its poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 28, 2025
Yana Vella, Kateřina Syrová, Aneta Petrušková et al.
1 citation
Psilocin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, promotes the formation of new synapses in rat brain cells, an effect comparable to ketamine and lithium. In laboratory experiments on rat cortical cultures, psilocin increased the number of synaptic puncta and boosted expression of the immediate early gene Arc after acute treatment. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) did not produce significant synaptogenic effects. Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, had no effect on synapse formation but upregulated other immediate early genes. These findings add evidence that psilocin may be a promising therapeutic agent for psychiatric conditions.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
August 7, 2024
Yana Vella, Kateřina Syrová, Aneta Petrušková et al.
1 citation
preprint
Psychedelics can produce rapid and lasting antidepressant effects, likely through neuroplasticity, though the precise molecular mechanisms are not yet understood.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
June 30, 2026
Lucie Ladislavová, Viera Kútná, Kristýna Mazochová et al.
Chronic microdosing of psilocin (0.05 or 0.075 mg/kg) in adult male Wistar rats over five weeks did not alter locomotor activity, depressive-like behavior, sociability, or novelty seeking, and did not increase cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. A small anxiogenic effect was detected in the Elevated Plus Maze. The findings suggest that, under this dosing schedule, psilocin microdosing produces limited behavioral effects and does not enhance hippocampal progenitor proliferation.
Addiction Biology
March 1, 2026
Isis Koutrouli, Vojtěch Brejtr, Marek Schwendt et al.
Psilocybin and ibogaine, given in a dose-escalation protocol, facilitated extinction learning in male rats that had self-administered cocaine. Psilocybin reduced active lever pressing one day after the second dose, with a nonsignificant reduction after the first dose; ibogaine significantly reduced pressing even after the first administration. Neither drug significantly altered cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking, though psilocybin showed a trend toward attenuation. The treatments had no side effects on general locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior in the open field test. These results suggest psilocybin and ibogaine may support extinction learning and possibly protect against relapse, warranting further research into their antiaddictive potential.