Serotonin 2C receptors are also important in head-twitch responses in male mice.

The psychedelic effects of serotonergic compounds are thought to rely primarily on activating 5-HT2A receptors, but this study in male mice shows that the 5-HT2C receptor can also independently induce the head-twitch response, a behavioral marker of psychedelic activity. The compounds Methallylescaline (MAL) and 4-Methyl-2,5,β-trimethoxyphenethylamine (BOD) produced head-twitch responses at 1 mg·kg⁻¹ through both 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors, with distinct signaling pathways. At a higher dose of 30 mg·kg⁻¹, these compounds also triggered neurotoxic effects and activated pro-inflammatory cytokines, indicating potential harm beyond their psychedelic actions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Serotonergic psychedelics exert their effects via their high affinity for serotonin (5-HT) receptors, particularly through activating 5-HT2A receptors (5-HT2AR), employing the frontal cortex-dependent head-twitch response (HTR). Although universally believed to be so, studies have not yet fully ascertained whether 5-HT2AR activation is the sole initiator of these psychedelic effects. This is because not all 5-HT2AR agonists exhibit similar pharmacologic properties. This study aims to identify and discriminate the roles of 5-HT2AR and 5-HT2CR in the HTR induced by Methallylescaline (MAL) and 4-Methyl-2,5,β-trimethoxyphenethylamine (BOD) in male mice. Also, an analysis of their potential neurotoxic properties was evaluated. Male mice treated with MAL and BOD were evaluated in different behavioral paradigms targeting HTR and neurotoxicity effects. Drug affinity, pharmacological blocking, and molecular analysis were also conducted to support the behavioral findings. The HTR induced by DOI has been extensively characterized in male mice, making it a good positive control for this study, specifically for comparing the pharmacological effects of our test compounds. The activation of 5-HT2CR, alone or in concert with 5-HT2AR, produces a comparable degree of HTRs (at a dose of 1 mg·kg-1), with divergent 5-HT2CR- and 5-HT2AR-Gqα11-mediated signaling and enhanced neurotoxic properties (at a dose of 30 mg·kg-1) coupled with activated pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings show these compounds' potential psychedelic and neurotoxic effects in male mice. These findings showed that while 5-HT2AR is the main initiator of HTR, the 5-HT2CR also has a distinct property that renders it effective in inducing HTR in male mice.