Chinese medical journal
December 20, 2023
Yingjie Du, Yunfeng Li, Xiangting Zhao et al.
71 citations
A single dose of psilocybin (2.5 mg/kg) given to mice before extinction training reduced freezing time—a measure of fear—24 hours, 6 days, and 7 days later, indicating rapid and sustained facilitation of fear extinction. Psilocybin also reversed fear-conditioning-induced decreases in hippocampal dendritic complexity, spine density, levels of BDNF and mTOR proteins, and numbers of DCX- and BrdU-positive cells (markers of neurogenesis). These findings suggest psilocybin promotes hippocampal neuroplasticity, which may partially underlie its ability to enhance fear extinction. The authors propose psilocybin could be a useful adjunct to exposure-based therapies for PTSD and other disorders involving impaired fear extinction.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
April 28, 2024
Xiangting Zhao, Yingjie Du, Yishan Yao et al.
53 citations
A single dose of psilocybin produces rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in both healthy mice and mice exposed to chronic corticosterone, a model of stress. Psilocybin reversed stress-induced reductions in neuroplasticity within the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, increasing dendritic branching, spine density, and levels of synaptic proteins (p-GluA1, PSD95, synapsin-1) and activating the BDNF-mTOR signaling pathway. It also promoted neurogenesis, as indicated by more DCX-positive cells. These findings suggest that psilocybin's antidepressant action is linked to its ability to enhance structural and molecular neuroplasticity.
ACS chemical neuroscience
July 3, 2024
Yue Zhang, Hui Ma, Yafan Bai et al.
25 citations
Chronic neuropathic pain and comorbid depression syndrome (CDS) is a major global health problem affecting quality of life and imposing a large socioeconomic burden. More than half of patients with chronic neuropathic pain also suffer from moderate or severe depression. The complex causes of CDS and limited research on its neural circuit mechanisms hinder effective treatments. Activating some neural circuits can alleviate pain or depression, while activating others worsens these conditions. Current and emerging pharmacotherapies, such as ketamine, are discussed. Understanding the circuit mechanisms may guide development of new drugs for better CDS management.
J Psychopharmacol
June 28, 2026
Yingjie Du, Xiangting Zhao, Yishan Yao et al.
In a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder, a single dose of psilocybin reduced fear responses to a conditioned cue measured 1, 6, and 7 days later. Psilocybin also reversed the fear conditioning-induced reductions in neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, increasing dendritic branches and spine density, upregulating GluR1 and synapsin-1, enhancing brain-derived neurotrophic factor and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, and promoting neurogenesis. These results suggest that psilocybin may have therapeutic potential for PTSD and other disorders involving fear memory by restoring neuroplasticity in these brain regions.