Phencyclidine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, and Mescaline: Cerebral Artery Spasms and Hallucinogenic Activity
Science May 29, 1981 Bella T. Altura, Burton M. Altura 81 citations
Phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and mescaline all cause potent contraction of isolated basilar and middle cerebral arteries, with LSD being the most potent, followed by mescaline, then PCP. The concentrations that produce near-maximum contraction of cerebral arteries are similar to those found in the blood and brain of people who died from PCP overdoses. Specific receptors for PCP, distinct from those for LSD and mescaline, exist in cerebral arteries and mediate this vasospasm. The calcium antagonist verapamil can prevent and reverse PCP-induced vasospasm, suggesting a potential clinical treatment for PCP intoxication.