MDMA (ecstasy) at recreational doses does not cause liver cell damage in a 3D human liver cell model, even under hyperthermia. The study used HepG2 spheroids to test MDMA's hepatotoxicity and found no significant reduction in cell viability, no increase in reactive oxygen species, no loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, no cell cycle arrest, and no apoptotic cell death. These results support further preclinical research into MDMA's safety for both harm reduction and therapeutic use, as non-abusive recreational and therapeutic doses overlap.
A systematic review of 13 studies examined the developmental toxicity and behavioral effects of psychedelics in zebrafish. Substances included ayahuasca, DMT, ibogaine, LSD, MDMA, mescaline, noribogaine, psilocybin, and psilocin. Overall, psychedelics did not cause morphological abnormalities in embryo-larvae, though ayahuasca induced edemas and increased mortality at high concentrations. Ibogaine, MDMA, and LSD were linked to locomotor impairments after developmental exposure. DMT, psilocybin, and psilocin had anxiolytic effects on larvae, while LSD, MDMA, mescaline, and noribogaine reduced anxiety in adult fish. The findings suggest a safe toxicological profile at low concentrations, but whether they cause neurodevelopmental deficits in offspring remains unclear.