研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，LSD通過與自閉癥相關(guān)的蛋白質(zhì)促進社會行為

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，LSD通過與自閉癥相關(guān)的蛋白質(zhì)促進社會行為

The authors of a new study into the behavioral effects of LSD have suggested that the drug may provide the key to developing new therapies for autism (ASD) and social anxiety. This assertion is based on the finding that LSD boosts social behavior in mice and that this effect is mediated by a protein complex that is often associated with ASD.

一項關(guān)于LSD行為效應的新研究的作者提出，這種藥物可能為開發(fā)治療自閉癥(ASD)和社交焦慮的新療法提供關(guān)鍵。這一論斷是基于一項發(fā)現(xiàn)，即LSD促進老鼠的社會行為，而這種影響是由一種通常與自閉癥譜系障礙有關(guān)的蛋白質(zhì)復合物介導的。

Publishing their work in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers reveal that a single low dose of LSD had no effect on the rodents’ sociability, but that the animals became increasingly convivial towards unfamiliar mice after receiving the drug every day for a week. It is well known that LSD and other psychedelics produce their effects by interacting with serotonin receptors in the prefrontal cortex, and the study authors were, therefore, unsurprised to find that blocking these receptors nullified this increase in social behavior.

研究人員在《美國國家科學院院刊》(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)上發(fā)表了他們的研究成果，他們揭示，單次低劑量的LSD對嚙齒類動物的社交能力沒有影響，但在連續(xù)一周每天服用這種藥物后，這些動物對陌生的老鼠變得越來越友好。眾所周知，LSD和其他致幻劑是通過與前額葉皮層的5 -羥色胺受體相互作用來產(chǎn)生效果的，因此，研究作者發(fā)現(xiàn)阻斷這些受體會抵消社會行為的增加并不感到驚訝。

A similar effect was seen when the study authors blocked a second type of receptor, known as AMPA, in the animals’ prefrontal cortex, indicating that the social enhancement produced by LSD relies on both of these key receptor types.

當研究作者阻斷動物前額葉皮層的第二種受體AMPA時，也看到了類似的效果，這表明LSD產(chǎn)生的社交增強依賴于這兩種關(guān)鍵受體類型。

Benjamin Taub

Intriguingly, a number of psychedelic drugs have previously been shown to increase the activation of a protein complex called mTORC1, which regulates the sensitivity of serotonin and AMPA receptors. This compound is of particular interest as several studies have shown that dysregulation of mTORC1 causes alterations in brain activity that are linked to ASD and a range of social anxiety disorders.

有趣的是，許多迷幻藥之前已經(jīng)被證明可以增加一種叫做mTORC1的蛋白質(zhì)復合物的激活，它調(diào)節(jié)5 -羥色胺和AMPA受體的敏感性。這種化合物特別有趣，因為一些研究表明mTORC1的失調(diào)會導致與ASD和一系列社會焦慮障礙相關(guān)的大腦活動的改變。

Using molecular analytics tools, the study authors verified that the regular administration of LSD produced an increase in mTORC1 activation in the rodents’ prefrontal cortices, suggesting a role for this important compound in regulating the social effects of psychedelics.

利用分子分析工具，研究作者證實了定期服用LSD會增加嚙齒類動物前額皮質(zhì)的mTORC1激活，表明這種重要化合物在調(diào)節(jié)迷幻劑的社會效應方面發(fā)揮了作用。

To investigate further, the researchers repeated their experiment using mice that had been genetically modified to lack a key ingredient of the mTORC1 protein complex and found that this eliminated the ability of LSD to enhance social behavior. This finding indicates that mTORC1 is a vital mediator of the behavioral effects of LSD, and that its role in tweaking the activity of serotonin and AMPA receptors may help to explain certain neurological disorders.

為了進一步調(diào)查，研究人員重復了他們的實驗，使用的老鼠是經(jīng)過基因改造的，以缺乏一種關(guān)鍵成分的mTORC1蛋白質(zhì)復合物，并發(fā)現(xiàn)這消除了LSD增強社會行為的能力。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)表明mTORC1是LSD行為效應的重要中介，它在調(diào)節(jié)5 -羥色胺和AMPA受體活性方面的作用可能有助于解釋某些神經(jīng)障礙。

Based on this outcome, the study authors state that the interaction between mTORC1, serotonin receptors and AMPA receptors represents a promising avenue of research and that the effects of LSD and other psychedelics “should be explored for the treatment of mental diseases with [social behavior] impairments such as autism spectrum disorder and social anxiety disorder.”

基于這一結(jié)果,該研究的作者指出，mTORC1、5 -羥色胺受體和AMPA受體之間的相互作用代表了一個有前途的研究途徑，以及LSD和其他致幻劑的作用“應該探索用于治療帶有(社會行為)障礙的精神疾病，如自閉癥譜系障礙和社交焦慮障礙。”