Cardiac effects of psychedelic drugs

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Some hallucinogens like psilocin, psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine, and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine are under discussion as therapeutic drugs to treat some kinds of depression. Here, we want to know if these hallucinogens have any cardiac effects and if they act positive inotropic and positive chronotropic via serotonin 5-HT4 receptors. To that end, we use a transgenic mouse model with heart specific overexpression of human 5-HT4 receptors that has been developed and characterized by ourselves. Moreover, the signal transduction of the cardiac effects of these hallucinogens should be identified in more detail. The project should help to increase the safety of drug therapies and to improve the treatment of overdosage.