Using radiolabeled serotonin receptor subtypes, researchers found that LSD, mescaline, and other phenylisopropylamines had a 10-100 fold higher affinity for the 5-HT2 receptor subtype than for the 5-HT1C.1 The compounds also had 100-1000 fold higher affinity for the 5-HT2 receptor than the 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B subtypes. The hallucinogenic potencies of the compounds were strongly correlated with the 5-HT2 binding affinities.
Study Finds the 5-HT2 Receptor is Important for the Hallucinogenic Effect of LSD
Researchers find 5-HT2 receptor subtypes in the brain are an important component of the hallucinatory action of LSD and other chemically similar hallucinogens.