A Multidisciplinary Hypothesis about Serotonergic Psychedelics. Is it Possible that a Portion of Brain Serotonin Comes From the Gut?
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience August 31, 2022 Noémi Császár-nagy, Petr Bob, István Bókkon 9 citations
A complex hypothesis proposes that serotonergic psychedelics act on gut microbes, prompting host enterochromaffin cells to temporarily increase production of 5-HT (serotonin). This 5-HT is taken up and distributed by platelets, potentially acting as a hormone-like signal that influences membrane permeability in organs and the brain. Elevated plasma 5-HT may transiently increase blood-brain barrier permeability, allowing 5-HT to enter the central nervous system via volume transmission. There, gut-derived 5-HT could modulate excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, causing network disintegration. This transient neural disruption may allow patients access to suppressed fear information and enable an emotional reset, with the amygdala playing a key role.