Direct anti-inflammatory actions of N,N-dimethyltryptamine on microglia are revealed by proteomic profiling and receptor pharmacology

Abstract

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an endogenous psychedelic tryptamine that has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate for acute ischemic stroke. Although DMT consistently reduces infarct size, attenuates neuroinflammation, and improves functional outcome in experimental stroke, the cellular and receptor mechanisms underlying these effects remain poorly understood. Primary rat microglial cultures were used to examine the direct anti-inflammatory effects of DMT following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation. Microglial morphology, phagocytosis, and proteomic alterations were analyzed. Radioligand binding assays determined the affinity of DMT for microglial sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs). Pharmacological inhibition of Sig-1Rs and serotonin (5-HT) receptors was performed to define receptor-specific mechanisms. Translational relevance was evaluated in acute mouse brain slices subjected to mild oxygen-glucose deprivation (mOGD) and anoxic episodes, where microglial activation, spreading depolarizations (SDs), and neuronal injury were assessed. DMT directly suppressed LPS-induced microglial activation, promoted a homeostatic morphology, and reduced phagocytic activity. Proteomic profiling demonstrated that DMT selectively reprogrammed inflammatory pathways by suppressing proteins involved in cytokine and chemokine signaling and oxidative stress while largely preserving arachidonic acid-prostaglandin synthesis. DMT bound microglial Sig-1Rs with micromolar affinity comparable to that reported in whole-brain preparations. Pharmacological inhibition revealed that DMT-induced morphological reprogramming required both Sig-1R and serotonergic signaling, whereas suppression of phagocytosis was largely independent of either receptor pathway. In acute brain slices, DMT attenuated microglial activation, reduced SD propagation and ischemic neuronal injury, and tissue-level neuroprotection depended on serotonergic signaling. DMT directly targets microglia and selectively remodels inflammatory states rather than broadly suppressing microglial activation. The receptor mechanisms underlying its actions are context dependent, with Sig-1R and serotonergic signaling contributing differentially according to the cellular response and experimental model. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the neuroprotective actions of DMT and support its ongoing clinical translation as a potential therapy for ischemic stroke.