Psilocin alleviates acute itch in mice: possible involvement of 5-HT2A receptors and kynurenine pathway.

Psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, reduced scratching in mice by interfering with the kynurenine pathway and interacting with 5-HT2A receptors. In a study with eight mice per group, psilocin at 1 mg/kg produced the strongest antipruritic and hallucinogenic effects, as measured by head-twitch response. Combining psilocin with 1-MT further enhanced itch relief. Psilocin decreased expression of TLR-4, TNF-α, and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in skin tissue. This is the first evidence that psychedelics may combat itching, suggesting a potential new use for psilocin in conditions involving pruritus.

Study at a glance

Abstract

We aimed to investigate whether psilocin, the bioactive metabolite of the well-known psychedelic, psilocybin, may have antipruritic effects in mice by interfering with the kynurenine pathway and interacting with 5-HT2A receptors. Eight mice were randomly assigned to each of the study groups receiving either normal saline, compound 48/80, psilocin (0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg), or psilocin (1 mg/kg) + 1-MT (0.3 mg/kg). The scratching bouts were documented in each group. The hallucinogenic properties of psilocin were documented using the head-twitch response (HTR) test. To confirm their involvement, we also quantified the expression levels of TNF-α, TLR-4, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), and 5-HT2A receptors across various study groups. We found that psilocin (1 mg/kg) exerted the most significant antipruritic and hallucinogenic effects (P < 0.0001). The activity of 5-HT2A receptors in the skin tissue of mice was confirmed by western blot. When psilocin (1 mg/kg) was given together with 1-MT (0.3 mg/kg), the antipruritic effects became more pronounced as compared to when psilocin was given alone (P < 0.05). TLR-4 and TNF-α expression levels considerably reduced after psilocin was applied, both alone and together with 1-MT (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). We also observed significantly decreased activity of IDO in the treatment groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 after giving psilocin alone, and together with 1-MT, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first study to confirm the effectiveness of psychedelics in battling pruritus. Our findings offer a novel repositioning for psilocin. This may be particularly beneficial for psychological conditions accompanied by pruritus.