Mescaline and phencyclidine (PCP) dose-dependently increased top activity in the novel tank test, reduced immobility, and disrupted swimming patterns in zebrafish. PCP, but not mescaline, evoked circling behavior in the open field test. At the highest doses tested, mescaline markedly increased shoaling behavior, while PCP did not affect it. Whole-body cortisol levels were unchanged by 20 mg/l mescaline but elevated by 3 mg/l PCP. These findings indicate that zebrafish models are sensitive to hallucinogenic compounds, producing complex behavioral and physiological effects.
Mescaline and phencyclidine (PCP) alter zebrafish behavior in distinct ways, while psilocybin shows no behavioral effects at the doses tested. Mescaline (10–20 mg/L) reduces anxiety-like behavior in the novel tank test, increases shoaling, and changes movement in the open field. PCP (1–3 mg/L) decreases freezing and causes erratic swimming. Both mescaline and PCP disrupt normal exploratory behavior. Psilocybin (0.5–3 mg/L) is inactive in all behavioral tests. Psilocybin and PCP raise whole-body cortisol levels without affecting brain c-fos expression; mescaline does not alter either measure. Zebrafish models are sensitive to hallucinogenic compounds with complex behavioral and physiological effects.