Frontiers in psychiatry

How psychedelic drugs affect male and female rodents differently: a review of studies

Updated

Abstract

Psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD may exert different effects based on sex, influencing neurobiological and behavioral outcomes.

  • Sex-dependent variability in the effects of psychedelics is evident across pharmacokinetics, physiology, and behavior.
  • Notable differences in serotonergic and dopaminergic signaling patterns have been observed between males and females.
  • Female rodents show distinct central amygdala reactivity to psilocin compared to males.
  • Behavioral responses, such as head twitch and locomotor activity, often exhibit stronger effects in females.
  • The phase of the ovarian cycle can further influence behavioral responses to psychedelics.
  • Diverse therapeutic and adverse outcomes related to psychedelics have been found in disease model studies, suggesting sex differences in treatment responses.

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Full Text

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Funding

Competing interests

No commercial or financial ties reported.
PubMed

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