Psilocybin sex-dependently reduces alcohol consumption in C57BL/6J mice
Frontiers in Pharmacology January 4, 2023 Kenneth Alper, Janelle Cange, Ria Sah et al. 39 citations
A single dose of psilocybin reduces voluntary ethanol consumption in male mice for three days afterward, but has no effect in female mice. The reduction is dose-related and occurs at 0.5 mg/kg or higher, but does not persist when ethanol is reintroduced after two days of withdrawal. The effect is not due to altered taste perception, motor effects, or nonspecific changes in drinking behavior. These findings suggest sex-dependent effects of psilocybin on alcohol drinking and indicate that the C57BL/6J mouse may be useful for studying sex differences in alcohol use disorder and the neurobiology of psychedelics.