Roaming through the desert, this toad releases a compound with potential benefits similar to LSD and psilocybin.
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A psychedelic compound secreted by poisonous frogs may help treat depression and anxiety, according to a study in mice.
When frightened, the Colorado River toad (incilius alvarius) Glands in the skin release hallucinogenic compounds related to the drug DMT. DMT (dimethyltryptamine) is similar in structure and effect to psilocybin, a hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms. Colorado River toads live in and around the Sonoran Desert, which spans parts of Arizona, California, and Mexico, and people seeking the amazing effects of this substance either lick the toad directly or extract the toad and dry it. Sometimes I smoke.
Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York investigated the potential health benefits of toad secretions. We know that psychedelics like psilocybin can treat depression in some people, but it's not entirely clear why this compound is so effective. However, it is thought to interact with serotonin receptors and reset the activity of neural circuits in the brain.
Most psychedelic research examines the drug's effects on a specific type of serotonin receptor called 5-HT2A. But the team behind the new study focused on a more obscure serotonin receptor called 5-HT1A, which past research has suggested interacts with toad toxin.
The researchers chemically tweaked a toad-derived compound to signal only 5-HT1A receptors, eliminating hallucinogenic effects, and administered it to mice with signs of stress or depression. Researchers found that mice given the compound drank more palatable sugar water and spent more time with their peers. These are both signs of reduced anxiety and depression. Similar effects have been observed in people receiving LSD or psilocybin treatment.
“Frankly, that's what we expect,” he says audrey warren At Mount Sinai Hospital.
Similar receptors exist in the human brain, so this compound could hold promise in treating people. “It is our hope that in the future someone will use our findings to help design new antidepressants for humans, but that is certainly a long way off,” Warren says. .
Until then, she warns people not to lick Colorado River toads or inhale their poison. In addition to severe hallucinations, it can lead to anxiety, vomiting, seizures, and death.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
