The pharmacology of psilocybin.
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is the major psychoactive alkaloid of some species of mushrooms distributed worldwide. These mushrooms represent a growing problem regarding hallucinogenic drug abuse. Despite its experimental medical use in the 1960s, only very few pharmacological data about psilocybin were known until recently. Because of its still growing capacity for abuse and the widely dispersed data this review presents all the available pharmacological data about psilocybin.
Passie
Torsten
T
Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany. dr.passie@gmx.de
Seifert
Juergen
J
Schneider
Udo
U
Emrich
Hinderk M
HM
D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011562:Psilocybin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
D006213:Hallucinogens; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; D011562:Psilocybin; D012701:Serotonin