Psychopharmacology
January 1, 1987
Kathryn A. Cunningham, J. B. Appel
84 citations
The behavioral effects of LSD are mediated primarily through 5-HT2 serotonin receptors rather than 5-HT1 receptors. In rats trained to discriminate LSD from saline, only the 5-HT agonist quipazine mimicked LSD's effects, while several 5-HT2 antagonists blocked the LSD cue. Putative 5-HT1 agonists did not substitute for LSD, and only the 5-HT2 antagonist spiperone failed to block it. These findings indicate that 5-HT2 neuronal systems are more important than 5-HT1 systems in mediating LSD's discriminative stimulus and possibly other effects.
Brain Research
December 1, 2002
Paul S. Frankel, Kathryn A. Cunningham
41 citations
A low dose of the hallucinogen d-lysergic acid diethylamide (d-LSD) triggers a time- and region-dependent increase in c-Fos protein expression in specific rat forebrain areas. Significant increases in c-Fos-positive cells appeared in the anterior cingulate cortex at 1 hour, the shell of the nucleus accumbens at 1 and 2 hours, the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis at 2 hours, and the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus at 1, 2, and 4 hours after injection. This pattern suggests that activation of these forebrain regions contributes to the unique behavioral effects of d-LSD.
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
September 25, 2025
Saghir Ali, Xiaochen Tian, Kathryn A. Cunningham et al.
2 citations
Psychedelics demonstrate significant potential in influencing behavior by targeting neurotransmitter receptors. In a study involving 150 participants, 70% reported enhanced emotional well-being after using specific alkaloids derived from benzene derivatives. The pharmacological effects were linked to improved cognitive flexibility and reduced anxiety. Chemical synthesis methods revealed that certain compounds exhibited up to a 50% increase in biological activity compared to traditional treatments. These findings underscore the promise of psychedelics in therapeutic settings, paving the way for innovative drug studies in mental health.
American Psychiatric Publishing eBooks
May 5, 2014
Robert N. Pechnick, Kathryn A. Cunningham, Itai Danovitch
Hallucinogens are a class of psychoactive drugs, either synthetic or plant-derived, that produce auditory or visual hallucinations and alter thought, mood, and perception. Depending on dosage, user expectation (set), and environment (setting), they can also induce euphoria or a state similar to a transcendental experience. Some hallucinogens, like jimsonweed, cause delirium with disturbances in judgment and memory, while others, such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline, alter consciousness without delirium or sedation. These serotonergic hallucinogens primarily affect the serotonin receptor system. Other plant products with hallucinogenic activity include morning glory seeds and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds, which contain lysergic acid derivatives.