Clinical trials on the use of psilocybin (PSL) to treat depression are promising, but still in preliminary stages. Additionally, they are confounded by the presence of hallucinations, which may not be necessary for its clinical effectiveness but create challenges when designing experiments. Results from our lab have also indicated potential antidepressant efficacy for a number of novel tryptamines that are chemically similar to psilocybin, including norbaeocystin (NOR) and baeocystin (BAO). The purpose of this study was to ensure that these tryptamines are screened for safety by administering them in rats and monitoring their body weight, locomotion, hepatic function, and renal function. We had 40 male long evans rats (N=5) where we administered PSL (.2 and 2 mg/kg), NOR (.25 and 2.52 mg/kg), and a combination of PSL+NOR respectively. Locomotor activity and body weights were measured, and there were no significant deviations from the control groups; we’re planning to expand this study to draw blood from the animals after administration of PSL, NOR, and BAO in order to screen their blood for indicators of hepatic or renal distress. This study could either provide evidence of the safety of these drugs and allow their continued use, or it may uncover potential dangers of their consumption, which would indicate a necessity to modify future studies accordingly. In the case that there are no issues with acute administration, further study will investigate to ensure that chronic use also does not have adverse effects.
Authors: Sciortino JH, Roberts BF, Sandoval O, Hinegardner-Hendricks JD, Anas NA
Advisors: Matthew McMurray, Psychology; Andrew Jones, Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
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