Scientific Reports
November 26, 2025
Małgorzata Domżalska, Joanna Kwiatkowska, Iwona Cichoń et al.
2 citations
In a mouse model of depression induced by chronic social defeat stress, a single dose of either ketamine or psilocybin reversed social avoidance within 24 hours, with effects lasting up to 14 days. In contrast, the SSRI fluoxetine showed no effect after a single dose or 7 days of repeated administration; antidepressant-like effects only appeared after 14 days of continuous treatment. These results mirror clinical patterns, where traditional SSRIs require weeks to work, while ketamine and psilocybin produce rapid and sustained effects. The findings highlight the potential of fast-acting agents as alternatives for treating major depressive disorder.
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy
June 17, 2026
Małgorzata Potoczna, Natalia Kasica, Małgorzata Chmielewska-Krzesińska et al.
Zebrafish larvae are increasingly used to study anxiety and stress, but it is unclear whether common behavioral tests and molecular stress markers give consistent results. This study tested several drugs with known anxiety- or depression-related effects, including diazepam, amitriptyline, and fluoxetine, along with other compounds like psilocybin. Diazepam showed the most consistent anxiety-reducing behavioral effects, but this was not accompanied by lower cortisol levels or normalized stress-related gene expression. Amitriptyline reduced cortisol but only partially affected behavior. Other drugs altered movement in ways that could reflect sedation rather than anxiety relief. The findings suggest that behavioral and molecular measures should not be treated as equivalent indicators of anxiety; instead, combining them provides a more nuanced profiling approach to identify specific drug effects and avoid misinterpretation.
Research Square
October 7, 2025
Małgorzata Domżalska, Joanna Kwiatkowska, Iwona Cichoń et al.
In a mouse model of depression using chronic social defeat stress, a single dose of either ketamine or psilocybin reversed social avoidance behavior within 24 hours, with effects lasting up to 14 days. By contrast, the SSRI fluoxetine showed no effect after a single dose or after 7 days of daily treatment; antidepressant-like effects appeared only after 14 days of continuous administration. These rapid and sustained effects of ketamine and psilocybin mirror clinical patterns and highlight their potential as fast-acting alternatives to conventional antidepressants like fluoxetine.