Effects of the hallucinogenic drugs mescaline, phencyclidine and psilocybin on zebrafish behavior and physiology
Evan J. Kyzar, Christopher Collins, Jeremy Green, Siddharth Gaikwad, Andrew Roth, Louis Monnig, Mohamed El-Ounsi, Nicholas Capezio, Andrew J. Freeman, Ari Davis, Allan V. Kalueff
The FASEB Journal April 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1043.3 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMescaline 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Zebrafish (Danio rerio) |
| Interventions | Mescaline Phencyclidine (PCP) Psilocybin |
| Dose | Mescaline 10–20 mg/L, PCP 1–3 mg/L, Psilocybin 0.5–3 mg/L |
| Topics | LSD Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Phencyclidine Pharmacology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Mescaline and PCP produce distinct behavioral and physiological effects in zebrafish, whereas psilocybin is behaviorally inactive at the doses tested. |
Abstract
Mescaline, phencyclidine (PCP) and psilocybin are potent hallucinogenic drugs strongly affecting both human and animal behavior. However, these compounds have not been previously investigated in zebrafish (Danio rerio), rapidly gaining popularity as a model in psychopharmacology research. Here, we examine the effects of mescaline, PCP and psilocybin in multiple behavioral paradigms. Mescaline (10–20 mg/L) generally displayed an anxiolytic effect in the novel tank test, while PCP (1–3 mg/L) reduced freezing behavior and elicited a pattern of erratic swimming. Mescaline‐treated fish markedly increased shoaling behavior and altered movement patterns in the open field test. Additionally, mescaline and PCP disrupted normal zebrafish exploratory behavior, as assessed by ethograms. Psilocybin at doses tested (0.5–3 mg/L) was inactive in all of the behavioral tests. Interestingly, both psilocybin and PCP raised whole‐body cortisol levels without affecting brain c‐fos expression, and mescaline did not alter cortisol or c‐fos levels. Overall, this confirms the high sensitivity of zebrafish models to various hallucinogenic compounds with complex behavioral and physiological profiles. This study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) R03 grant to AVK.