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International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

ISSN for PRINT: 1521-9437

Institutional price:	$538.00
Issues per year:	4

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2000, Volume2

128 pages

Issue price - $128.00

Neurotropic Effect of Extracts from the Hallucinogenic Mushroom Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Sing. (Agaricomycetideae). In Vitro Studies

Mykhaylo G. Moldavan
Department of Brain Physiology, A. A. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bogomoletz St. 4, Kyiv 01024, Ukraine

Elvira F. Solomko
M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Tereshchenkivska Str. 2, GSP, 01601, Ukraine

Anna A. Grodzinskaya
Department of Spore Plants, M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Tereshchenkivska str. 2, Kiev, GSP-1, 01601, Ukraine

Solomon P. Wasser
International Centre for Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel; and N.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine

Victor M. Storozhuk
Department of Brain Physiology, A. A. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bogomoltza str. 4, Kiev 01024, Ukraine

Marharyta L. Lomberg
M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Tereshchenkivska Str. 2, GSP, 01601, Ukraine

ABSTRACT

The neurotropic effect of Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Sing, dried biomass and fruiting bodies containing the indole hallucinogens psilocybin and psilocine on spike activity of pyramidal neurons from the rat hippocampal CAl region slices has been studied. Extracellularly responses of 50 neurons were recorded, 34 during the application of biomass extract (BME) and 16 during the application of fruiting body extract (FBE). Of the total number of cells studied, the inhibition resulting from BME and FBE application was observed in 73.5% and 81% of cells, respectively. Inhibition parameters during the BME and FBE application were (in seconds) as follows: latency 59 ± 7 and 67 ± 8 and duration 251 ± 26 and 273 ± 37, respectively. Only 5.9% of neurons showed excitation resulting from BME application and no excitative response was observed during FBE application. During the BME and FBE application a short burst occurred in 29% and 12.5% of neurons, respectively. Ritancerin (antagonist of 5-HT₂/5-HT_1C serotonin receptors) blocked inhibitory responses resulting from BME and FBE application in half of the units tested. The duration of response to serotonin could reach 10−43 min whereas the response to extract application usually did not exceed 4−5 min. Extract application inhibited excitation spike responses resulting from L-glutamic acid application. Results that have been obtained show that the application of psilocybin-containing extracts from mushroom fruiting bodies and biomass causes a similar inhibition pattern of spike activity in pyramidal neurons from the hippocampal CA1 region and inhibits excitation of these neurons caused by L-glutamic acid.