Health
Rat Study Finds No Detectable DMT in Serotonin Neurons, Challenging Long-Held Brain Theory
Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Bern University Hospital found no evidence that the rat brain produces or stores DMT in serotonin-releasing neurons, undermining a decades-old hypothesis about the psychedelic compound's natural role in brain chemistry.
Key Takeaways
- No detectable DMT was found in adult rat brains even when metabolic breakdown was chemically blocked
- Administered DMT was not retained in serotonin neurons via standard serotonin transport mechanisms
- Findings undermine the hypothesis that DMT serves as a co-transmitter alongside serotonin in the brain
- Any naturally occurring brain DMT levels would be too low to function as a signaling molecule
- Results do not affect ongoing clinical research into DMT as a therapeutic agent for depression
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