Radioligand binding evidence implicates the brain 5-HT2 receptor as a site of action for LSD and phenylisopropylamine hallucinogens

Alterations in brain serotonergic function have been implicated in the mechanism of action of LSD, mescaline, and other similarly acting hallucinogenic drugs of abuse such as STP (2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine; DOM). In order to test the hypothesis that the mechanism of action of LSD and phenylisopropylamine hallucinogens is through stimulation of a specific brain serotonin receptor sub-type, the affinities of these compounds for radiolabelled 5-HT₂, 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, and 5-HT_1C receptors have been determined using recently developed in vitro radioligand binding methodologies. The 5-HT₂ receptor was labelled with the agonist/hallucinogen radioligand ³H-DOB (4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine). The 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, and 5-HT_1C receptors were labelled with ³H-OH-DPAT, ³H-5-HT, and ³H-mesulergine, respectively. In general, the phenylisopropylamines displayed 10–100 fold higher affinities for the 5-HT₂ receptor than for the 5-HT_1C receptor and 100–1000 fold higher affinities for the 5-HT₂ receptor than for the 5-HT_1A or 5-HT_1B receptor. There was a strong correlation between hallucinogenic potencies and 5-HT₂ receptor affinities of the phenylisopropylamines (r=0.90); the correlation coefficients for the 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_1B, and 5-HT_1C were 0.73, 0.85, and 0.78, respectively. Because there is no evidence that 5-HT_1A-selective or 5-HT_1B-selective agonists are hallucinogenic and because the phenylisopropylamines are potent hallucinogens, a 5-HT₂ receptor interaction is implicated and supports our previous suggestions to this effect. A secondary role for 5-HT_1C receptors cannot be discounted at this time. These results, when integrated with other receptor pharmacological information, indicate that an important component of the mechanism of action of LSD and the phenylisopropylamine hallucinogens is through stimulation of brain 5-HT₂ receptors. Offprint requests to: M. Titeler