Acute psilocybin increased cortical activities in rats
Junhong Liu, Yuanyuan Wang, Ke Xia, Jinfeng Wu, Danhao Zheng, Aoling Cai, Haitao Yan, Ruibin Su
Frontiers in Neuroscience May 23, 2023 Retracted DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1168911 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | Psilocybin hydrochloride |
| Dose | 2.0 mg/kg |
| Duration | Acute; imaging and immunofluorescence performed 10 minutes after injection |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | 5-ht2a Bold FMRI Functional connectivity fc Psychedelics psilocybin Hallucinogens Neuroscience brain connectivity Mental health depression Mood disorders Emotional processing |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin induces a hyperactive state in rats, with increased brain activity and functional connectivity in cortical and striatal regions, along with elevated EGR1 levels. |
Abstract
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogenic component of magic mushrooms, has significant psychoactive effects in both humans and rodents. But the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a useful tool in many preclinical and clinical trials to investigate psilocybin-induced changes of brain activity and functional connectivity (FC) due to its noninvasive nature and widespread availability. However, fMRI effects of psilocybin on rats have not been carefully investigated. This study aimed to explore how psilocybin affects resting-state brain activity and FC, through a combination of BOLD fMRI and immunofluorescence (IF) of EGR1, an immediate early gene (IEG) closely related to depressive symptoms. Ten minutes after psilocybin hydrochloride injection (2.0 mg/kg, i.p.), positive brain activities were observed in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex (including the cingulate cortex and retrosplenial cortex), hippocampus, and striatum. And a region-of-interest (ROI) -wise FC analysis matrix suggested increased interconnectivity of several regions, such as the cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum, prelimbic, and limbic regions. Further seed-based analyses revealed increased FC of cingulate cortex within the cortical and striatal areas. Consistently, acute psilocybin increased the EGR1 level throughout the brain, indicating a consistent activation thought the cortical and striatal areas. In conclusion, the psilocybin-induced hyperactive state of rats is congruent to that of humans, and may be responsible for its pharmacological effects.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics, but Not Ketamine, Produce Persistent Antidepressant-like Effects in a Rodent Experimental System for the Study of Depression Rats | 2020 | Preclinical study | |
| 5-HT2ARs Mediate Therapeutic Behavioral Effects of Psychedelic Tryptamines. Rodents | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| Psilocybin lacks antidepressant-like effect in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat Flinders Sensitive Line rats and Flinders Resistant Line rats | 2019 | Experimental study | |
| Psilocybin Facilitates Fear Extinction: Importance of Dose, Context, and Serotonin Receptors Male and female mice | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| Rapid-acting antidepressant drugs modulate affective bias in rats Rats | 2024 | Experimental animal study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Psychedelic-Induced Neural Plasticity: A Comprehensive Review and a Discussion of Clinical Implications. Brain Sciences January 25, 2025
- Psilocybin as a lead candidate molecule in preclinical therapeutic studies of psychiatric disorders: A systematic review Journal of Neurochemistry November 29, 2023
- Psilocybin as a novel treatment for chronic pain British Journal of Pharmacology November 29, 2024
- The Emergence of Psilocybin in Psychiatry and Neuroscience Pharmaceuticals April 9, 2025
- Psilocybin reduces alcohol self-administration via selective left nucleus accumbens activation in rats Brain May 4, 2024
and 9 more in the library
Cites 24
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry November 15, 2006
- Rat brains also have a default mode network Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 21, 2012
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports October 13, 2017
- Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Nature Medicine April 11, 2022
and 19 more in the library