Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD-25)

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) is known to enter the brain, but how it produces psychotic patterns in humans remains unknown. Experiments on intact animals may help uncover chemical processes related to schizophrenia. Researchers studied the effects of respiration inhibitors such as potassium cyanide, sodium azide, hydrazine, and oxygen lack, as well as oxidation-reduction indicators like methylene blue and Bindschedler's green, on Siamese fighting fish. It was previously shown that small doses of LSD-25 in the surrounding water markedly change the fish's behavior. The current report adds that potassium cyanide and sodium azide also act on the Siamese fighting fish.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Although it is known that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) enters the brain, the mechanism by which LSD-25 acts to produce the psychotic patterns in man is unknown. Experiments which are designed to investigate the brain process in the intact animal might lead to a concept that could be developed to study the chemical process originating or connected with clinically occurring schizophrenia. We have recently been studying the effect of potassium cyanide, sodium azide, hydrazine, and oxygen lack, among other respiration inhibitors, on an intact animal, the Siamese fighting fish. In addition, the action of oxidation-reduction indicators, like methylene blue, Bindschedler's green, and other dye systems, has been explored. It has previously been shown that the behavior of the Siamese fighting fish changes markedly in the presence of small doses of LSD-25 in the surrounding water.1-3It may now be reported that KCN and sodium azide act on the Siamese