Chromosomal Damage in Human Leukocytes Induced by Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Abstract

Addition of lysergic acid diethylamide to cultured human leukocytes resulted in a marked increase of chromosomal abnormalities. The distribution of chromosome breaks deviated significantly from random, with an accumulation of aberrations in chromosome No. 1. Cytogenetic investigation of a patient extensively treated with this drug over a 4-year period for paranoid schizophrenia showed a similar increase in chromosomal damage.

Atypical Cells in the Peripheral Blood A Cytological Study Applied to Cancer Research

“…In recent years several authors have reported that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) affects chromosomes in vitro [27,28]. Others have observed similar effects on cells of LSD users [14,27,60].…”

The Effect of LSD-25 on the Chromosomes of Children Exposed in Utero

“…This difficulty may be partially overcome by cytogenetic examination of patients receiving LSD for therapeutic reasons. Our initial report [10] described one such case in whom there was noted increased breakage as well as an increase in structural rearrangements (quadriradials). A series of five patients treated with pure LSD showed an elevated frequency of breaks and gaps [29].…”

“…Although in vitro chromosomal damage by LSD has 490 COHEN, HIRSGHHORN, VERBO, FROSCH, GROESCHEL been clearly demonstrated [10,21], the question of similar damage subsequent to in vivo LSD ingestion is controversial. Several groups of investigators have observed increased chromosomal breakage in cells from LSD users [11,15,20,36], while others have.been unable to confirm these findings [5,24,33].…”

Chemical Mutagenesis and Drugs of Abuse in Man — A Current View of the Problem

“…Just a few years later, in 1967, the phenomenon of chemical mutagenesis as it extended to the chromosome level was dramatically brought to the attention of an already alerted public. In that year chromosome aberrations were reported from in vivo and in vitro cultures of human leukocyte chromosomes in which the drug under evaluation was lysergic acid diethylamide [2,3], In fact, evidence that chemicals could induce mutations and chromo some damage was known to the geneticists prior to 1967. In studies con ducted during World War II and finally permitted publication in 1947, Auerbach and Robson [4] reported on the induction of mutations by mustard gas and in that year Darlington and Kohler [5] presented evidence that mustard gas produced chromosome aberrations similar to those found with ionizing radiations.…”