However, these and other available data do support an alternative hypothesis that LSD and related drugs act directly at receptor sites on serotonin target neurons . The fact that LSD elicits serotonin syndromethat is, causes the same kinds of behaviors as does the administration of serotoninin animals whose brains are depleted of serotonin indicates that LSD acts directly on serotonin receptors, rather than indirectly through the release of stores of serotonin. The enhanced effect of LSD reported after serotonin depletion could be due to a proliferation of serotonin receptor sites on serotonin target neurons. This phenomenon often follows neuron destruction or neurotransmitter depletion; the increase in the number of receptor sites appears to be a compensatory response to decreased input. Significantly, this hypothesis is supported by data from a number of different laboratories.
17. According to the passage, which of the following is one of the primary factors that led researchers studying hallucinogenic drugs to focus on serotonin?
The suppression of the activity of serotonin-secreting neurons by the administration of hallucinogens
The observed similarities in the chemical structures of serotonin and hallucinogens
The effects the administration of hallucinogens has on serotonin production in the human brain
Serotonin-induced changes in the effects of hallucinogens on behavior
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