DOSE-RESPONSE AND TIME COURSE EFFECTS OF N,N-DIMETHYLTRYPTAMINE ON DISRUPTION OF RAT SHUTTLEBOX AVOIDANCE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 12  (3) , 339-346
Abstract
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was given i.p. in doses 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg in a randomized order to a group of 10 rats who were trained to a high, stable base line of conditioned avoidance responding in the shuttlebox. DMT produced dose-dependent disruptive effects, as a sigmoid function, with 1.0 mg/kg the minimal dose causing disruption and progressively more disruption with increasing doses, reaching a plateau at the highest dose. Disruptive effects were time-related, with onset and peak 8 min after injection, gradual decline thereafter and disappearance by about 25-30 min. The threshold dose and time course for disruptive effects corresponded closely to what was previously reported for DMT psychological effects in humans.