Effects of a single dose of psilocybin on cytokines, chemokines and leptin in rat serum
Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 7, 2022 Geoffrey M. Bove, David J. Mokler 8 citations
A single dose of psilocybin given to female rats increased levels of multiple immune factors in the blood, including IL-1β, TNF-α, MCP-1, IP-10, G-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-13, and leptin, after 24 hours, with further increases after seven days. Most other measured immune modulators showed similar but statistically non-significant increases. The findings indicate that psilocybin induces a generalized activation of the immune system that can persist for at least a week, which may relate to its therapeutic mechanism. Further research is needed to connect these immune effects to clinical outcomes in humans.