The Effect of LSD and Reserpine on the Central Nervous System of the Cat

Abstract

(7) demonstrated that LSD antagonized the action of serotonin which is normally present in the brain. Thus LSD has been considered as a most interesting drug in psychopharmacological studies. On the other hand, both chlorpromazine and reserpine have been used in psychiatric practice, and the therapeutic effects of these have been widely recognized.In our labolatory, Fujita et al. (8, 9) recorded the potential changes to afferent stimula tion of the various parts of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves, and investigated the influence of analgesics on these potential change in order to determine the site of action of such drugs on the afferent pathways of these nerves. Takagi and Takaori (10, 11) analysed the mode of action of chlorpromazine, diethazine and promethazine on the central nervous system with the aid of various evoked potentials following stimulation of the peripheral nerves and central nervous structures, and spinal reflex discharges. Yamamoto (12) studied the site of action of Ohton on the central nervous system by means of the same method.The present investigation has been designed to determine the mode of action of LSD and reserpine on the central nervous system by means of the electrophysilogical methods mentioned above, and to trace the antagonism between LSD and chlorpromazine or reserpine. METHODSThe experiments were carried out on 76 cats. In most cases surgical procedures were performed under ether anesthesia. The spinal cord was transected at the C, level in order to diminish the centripetal influence caused by stimulation. Sometimes, succinylcholine (0.2 mg/kg i.v.) was used to keep the animal quiet.Two hours were allowed following ether

Effect of Tetrabenazine on the Afferent Pathways of the Central Nervous System

“…The same potential as that in the preadministration reappears if the stimula tion is increased in intensity. Reserpine has also been shown to depress the second component of the potential (17).…”

LSD and ketanserin and their impact on the human autonomic nervous system

“…Within recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the human nervous system and the possible application of psychedelic substances in psychiatry as treatment option, for example, in major depressive disorder (MDD) (Carhart-Harris & Goodwin, 2017;Rucker et al, 2016) or anxiety (Gasser et al, 2014). Although a large body of literature exists on the effects of LSD on the central nervous system (CNS) in animals (Takagi et al, 1958) and humans (Liechti, 2017), the impact of this compound on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in humans has only been addressed by a few studies (Dolder et al, 2017;Dolder, Schmid, Haschke, et al, 2016;Dolder, Schmid, Müller, et al, 2016;Holze, Duthaler, et al, 2019;Kaelen et al, 2015;Schmid et al, 2015). Especially, to the best of our knowledge, no specific analysis has been carried out using heart rate variability (HRV)-based measures to estimate the effect of LSD on the ANS.…”