Experimental Neurology
February 14, 2020
Sándor Nardai, Marcell László, Attila Szabo et al.
91 citations
A single intraperitoneal dose of DMT (1 mg/kg) followed by a 24-hour infusion (2 mg/kg/h) reduced ischemic brain lesion volume and improved functional recovery in male Wistar rats after 60 minutes of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. The neuroprotective effect was blocked by a Sigma-1 receptor antagonist, indicating a Sigma-1 receptor-dependent mechanism. DMT treatment lowered expression of the pro-apoptotic protein APAF1, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and shifted the inflammatory cytokine profile toward an anti-inflammatory state (decreased TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6; increased IL-10). The findings suggest DMT protects against ischemic injury through combined anti-apoptotic, pro-neurotrophic, and anti-inflammatory actions.
Experimental Neurology
October 1, 2021
Giulia Costa, Krystyna Gołembiowska
64 citations
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, can cause acute and lasting abnormalities in the brain, as shown in both animal and human studies. Neurotoxic effects have been demonstrated in experimental animals, raising concerns about serious harm to health, especially since MDMA is used recreationally by young and adult people. This review summarizes recent findings on MDMA's central effects and the mechanisms behind its neurotoxicity.
Experimental Neurology
June 4, 2021
Deborah Rudin, Matthias E. Liechti, Dino Luethi
48 citations
New psychoactive stimulants and psychedelics affect monoaminergic systems through different mechanisms: stimulants interact with monoamine transporters, while psychedelics act mainly as agonists at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Both types have been linked to neurological and cognitive impairments. In vitro and rodent studies suggest mechanisms such as cytotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress may contribute to neurotoxicity from stimulants, and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor-mediated toxicity and apoptosis pathways may contribute to neurotoxicity from psychedelics. It remains unclear how well these preclinical findings translate to humans.
Experimental Neurology
June 1, 2022
I. Ornelas, F. A. Cini, Isabel Wießner et al.
37 citations
LSD treatment improved performance in a novel object recognition task in rats and a visuo-spatial memory task in humans. A proteomic analysis of human brain organoids showed that LSD affected metabolic pathways associated with neural plasticity, including mTOR. Simulations using a neural network model of a cortico-hippocampal circuit, with baseline plasticity strength as a proxy for age and increased plasticity related to LSD dose, fit the experimental data well. The results suggest that LSD has nootropic effects.