Psilocybin Combines Rapid Synaptogenic And Anti-Inflammatory Effects In Vitro
Research Square (Research Square) March 8, 2022 Gabriella Smedfors, Elliot J. Glotfelty, Negar Kalani et al. 8 citations
Psilocybin, a psychedelic substance approaching clinical use, enhances structural plasticity in the brain. In cultured mouse hippocampal neurons, robust effects on pre- and postsynaptic protein expression (Piccolo and Homer1) appeared 1–3 hours after treatment, while presynaptic Synapsin-1 peaked at 72 hours, suggesting a rapidly normalizing window of plasticity. In an immortalized microglia cell line, psilocybin demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects against a lipopolysaccharide challenge by reducing tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion. These discrete, acute cell-type-specific effects provide insight into psilocybin's mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic value for conditions like depression and cluster headache.