Electrocardiographic examination of heart function in rats exposed to hallucinogens from Psilocybe mushrooms

Introduction: It has been accepted that acute toxicity of psilocin is low and this substance does not create a serious health hazard. Few symptoms observed after intake of Psilocybe mushrooms were mostly limited to the Central Nervous System. Material and methods: In order to readdress the supposed low toxicity and relative safety of natural hallucinogens, we performed tests with 52 Wistar male rats, divided into four equal groups. The rats were injected intraperitoneally with 1 ml of solution (psilocin, phenylethylamine, ethanol, saline), three times per week during 12 weeks period. Electrocardiograms were performed after two and eight weeks of the experiment in 32 randomly selected animals from each group and repeated before the autopsy after 12 weeks in all 52 animals. The ECG was recorded under low-dose ketamine anaesthesia, exactly one hour after injection, using an AsCard B-5 apparatus (50 mm/min, 20 mm/mV). Electrodes were placed on the extremities according to Einthoven and Goldberg and in the precardiac area according to Wilson. Heart rate (beats/min) and QRS complexes were analysed. Results and conclusions: Obtained data indicate that the repeated administration of psilocin in rats produces ECG abnormalities including tachycardia, ST segment alterations, and aberrant intraventricular conduction.