Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD 25): XXXX. Effect of pH on Transport of Methysergide and LSD 25 Across Gill Membrane

Summary

The effect of pH on the transport of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD 25) and of methysergide has been studied in both Siamese fighting fish and goldfish. Two methods have been employed to study the transport of these drugs. In one method, the fish were immersed in a solution of the drug, thus providing an essentially unlimited supply of the drug in the outside liquid during the course of the experiment. In the second method, the fish were dipped for a much shorter period and then observed after the excess drug had been washed off. If has been found that the pH of the outside liquid, in both methods, is a major factor controlling the transport of LSD 25 and methysergide across the gills. Between pH 5.0 and pH 5.7, the surfacing reaction of the fish is diminished, with maximum blocking occurring at pH 5.0, the blocking effect diminishing to zero at pH 5.8. The data are discussed in connection with the permeability of the blood brain barrier of the nervous system to psychotomimetic drugs.