Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
October 2011
Wael M Y Mohamed, Sami Ben Hamida, Jean-Christophe Cassel et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is one of the most widely abused illegal drugs. Some users self-report euphoria and an increased perception and feeling of closeness to others. When taken in warm environments, MDMA users may develop acute complications with potential fatal consequences. In rodents, MDMA increases locomotor activity and, depending on ambient temperature, may...
Neuropsychobiology
2009
Wael M.Y. Mohamed, Sami Ben Hamida, Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos et al.
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a widely used recreational drug, often associated with dance parties. Users self-report euphoria, a sense of well-being and increased feelings of affiliation. In experimental animals, MDMA produces an acute, rapid release of serotonin and, to a lesser extent, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It can also produce a dose-dependent,...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
December 2, 2008
Sami Ben Hamida, A. Tracqui, Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos et al.
27 citations
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine; MDMA) is a popular club drug often taken with ethanol (EtOH). We recently found EtOH potentiated the psychomotor effects of MDMA in rats. This potentiation could reflect pharmacodynamic or/and pharmacokinetic processes. To test the latter hypothesis, rats were injected i.p. with 6.6 or 10 mg/kg MDMA with or without 1.5 g/kg EtOH, and were killed at...
Psychopharmacology
March 2008
Sami Ben Hamida, Erin Plute, Brigitte Cosquer et al.
(+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is often taken recreationally with ethanol (EtOH). In rats, EtOH may potentiate MDMA-induced hyperactivity, but attenuate hyperthermia. Experiment 1 compared the interactions between EtOH (1.5 g/kg) and MDMA (6.6 mg/kg) with EtOH + cocaine (COCA; 10 mg/kg) and EtOH + amphetamine (AMPH; 1 mg/kg) on locomotor activity and thermoregulation....
Psychopharmacology
July 2007
Sami Ben Hamida, Erin Plute, Sonia Bach et al.
In our previous work, we showed that ethanol (EtOH) potentiates 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced hyperlocomotion while protecting against its hyperthermic effects. Whereas the effect on activity were found on all days (although declining over the three first days), the protection against hyperthermia completely disappeared on the second day. The latter effect was previously...