Medical Bulletin 11/October/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Unlocking the power of mushroom microdosing to improve mental health

A recent study conducted on rats has shed light on the therapeutic potential of psilocybin microdosing, offering new hope for individuals struggling with various mental health conditions. Psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, has long been associated with altered states of consciousness. Still, this research delves into the effects of microdoses, which are sub-perceptual and well below the psychedelic threshold.

Microdosing involves taking tiny, controlled amounts of a psychedelic substance, such as psilocybin, on a regular basis. The research involved administering low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin to rats, aiming to mimic the microdosing regimens reported by human users. Surprisingly, the rats tolerated the treatment well and did not display negative side effects typically associated with psychedelics, such as anxiety or altered behavior.

Reference: Kiilerich, K.F., Lorenz, J., Scharff, M.B. et al. Repeated low doses of psilocybin increase resilience to stress, lower compulsive actions, and strengthen cortical connections to the paraventricular thalamic nucleus in rats. Mol Psychiatry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-02280-z

Living near green spaces linked to improved mental health, study shows

Living in areas with abundant green and blue spaces, such as parks, lakes, and beaches, is associated with better mental health, according to a comprehensive study published in The Lancet. This research, which considered the impact of green space exposure on subsequent adult mental health over time, emphasizes the role of nature in promoting well-being while addressing health inequalities.

The study, based on electronic health record data spanning from January 2008 to October 2019, involved a cohort of over 2.3 million adults in Wales. Researchers examined household ambient greenness using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), access to green and blue spaces (GBS), and common mental health disorders (CMD), including anxiety and depression. Cumulative exposure values were created for each adult, taking into account various factors such as CMD diagnoses, migration, and the end of the cohort.

Reference: Rebecca S Geary et al. Ambient greenness, access to local green spaces, and subsequent mental health: a 10-year longitudinal dynamic panel study of 2·3 million adults in Wales, The Lancet. October 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00212-7 

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.. and now a 6th taste discovered!

We all are familiar with the taste of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. But In a surprising twist in the world of taste sensations, researchers have unveiled a previously unknown taste and the mechanism behind its detection. The researchers identified the role of a proton-selective ion channel known as OTOP1. This channel, found in our sour taste receptor cells, has been identified as the key player in how we detect ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), the chemical responsible for the unique taste of ammonium.

Ammonium, a breakdown product of amino acids, can be toxic in high quantities, and its detection is essential for the survival of various organisms, from tiny nematode worms to humans. While ammonium's taste has long been the subject of scientific curiosity, its underlying mechanisms have remained elusive.

Reference: “The proton channel OTOP1 is a sensor for the taste of ammonium chloride” by Ziyu Liang, Courtney E. Wilson, Bochuan Teng, Sue C. Kinnamon and Emily R. Liman, 5 October 2023, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41637-4

Renting rather than owning homes may age you faster, new study suggests

Living in a rented home, rather than owning one, could have a significant impact on biological aging, nearly twice that of being unemployed versus having paid employment, according to the findings of a recent study. Numerous factors related to housing, including issues like cold, mold, overcrowding, injury hazards, stress, and stigma, are known to influence physical and mental health. However, the precise mechanisms through which these factors affect our biology remain a subject of investigation.

To delve deeper into this issue, researchers combined epigenetic information, social survey data, and markers of biological aging—measured through DNA methylation in blood samples. The study drew on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) and survey responses from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS).

Reference: BMJ, Journal of Epidemiology, DOI: 10.1136/jech-2023-220523