N,N-Dimethyltryptamine attenuates spreading depolarization and restrains neurodegeneration by sigma-1 receptor activation in the ischemic rat brain.
Neuropharmacology July 1, 2021 Írisz Szabó, Viktória É Varga, Szabolcs Dvorácskó et al. 67 citations
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a natural compound that activates sigma-1 receptors, reduced spreading depolarizations—waves of electrical disruption in the brain that worsen stroke injury—in rats subjected to global forebrain ischemia. DMT also decreased the number of dying cells and supported astrocyte survival. The protective effects were shared by a selective sigma-1 receptor agonist and were blocked by a sigma-1 receptor antagonist, indicating the receptor mediates the protection. DMT remained effective even when serotonin receptors were blocked. These results suggest DMT could be an additional treatment for acute stroke.