Stimulation of rat prolactin secretion by indolealkylamine hallucinogens.
Psychopharmacology April 11, 1978 H Y Meltzer, R G Fessler, M Simonovic et al. 24 citations
Several hallucinogenic indoleamine drugs, including N,N-dimethyltryptamine (N,N-DMT), psilocybin, bufotenin, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and N-methyltryptamine, increased levels of the hormone prolactin (PRL) in rat plasma. The effect of N,N-DMT, psilocybin, and bufotenin was blocked by methysergide, a serotonin receptor blocker. Inhibiting serotonin synthesis with parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) made the PRL increase from N,N-DMT and psilocybin stronger. A toxin that selectively damages serotonin neurons also enhanced the PRL response to N,N-DMT. These results suggest the drugs stimulate PRL release by acting as serotonin agonists. Bufotenin, which poorly crosses the blood-brain barrier, had the strongest effect on PRL, hinting that the relevant serotonin receptors might be outside the barrier or that central receptors are especially sensitive to it.