Psilocybin impacts immunity and behavior differently depending on diet and exercise context

Psilocybin affects immune signaling and social behavior in mice in ways that depend on diet and exercise context. In an activity-based anorexia model, female mice with restricted food and access to running wheels were tested for social interest after a single psilocybin dose. Despite the anorexia-like setting, psilocybin did not normalize or change social behavior in the anorexia group, the wheel-only exercise group, or the food-restricted group. Immune effects were also context dependent. Psilocybin raised interleukin-6 levels in mice with running wheel access, but this inflammatory marker was not increased in the anorexia group. The findings suggest there is no one-size-fits-all response to psychedelic therapy and that a patient physical state, including nutrition and activity patterns, may shift both behavioral outcomes and immune effects.