MDMA (Ecstasy) decreases the number of neurons and stem cells in embryonic cortical cultures.
Cellular and molecular neurobiology January 2010 Anna M S Kindlundh-Högberg, Chris Pickering, Grzegorz Wicher et al.
Ecstasy, 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA), is a recreational drug used among adolescents, including young pregnant women. MDMA passes the placental barrier and may therefore influence fetal development. The aim was to investigate the direct effect of MDMA on cortical cells using dissociated CNS cortex of rat embryos, E17. The primary culture was exposed to a single dose of MDMA and...