Neurotoxicology and Teratology
March 5, 2012
Lynn T. Singer, David G. Moore, Sarah Fulton et al.
77 citations
MDMA (Ecstasy) use during pregnancy is linked to poorer motor quality and lower milestone attainment in infants at 4 months, with a dose-response relationship: greater exposure corresponds to worse motor outcomes. This first prospective study of prenatal MDMA exposure in humans compared 28 women who used MDMA during pregnancy with 68 polydrug-using women who did not, controlling for confounding factors. MDMA-using mothers had fewer prior births and more health, work, and social problems. Exposed infants were more likely to be male. The findings suggest risk to the developing infant and indicate that continued follow-up is needed to determine whether early motor delays persist or resolve.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
October 21, 2006
Brian J. Piper
54 citations
The recreational drug MDMA (ecstasy) is used by college, high school, and occasionally middle school students. Preclinical research has mostly studied adults, but interest is growing in adolescent and in-utero exposure. This review examines MDMA's acute and long-term effects across perinatal, adolescent, and adult periods. The drug's ability to alter body temperature develops gradually with age, while weight reduction occurs at all ages. Learning and working memory are impaired regardless of when exposure happens. Adults appear more sensitive to long-term serotonin depletion, but younger ages show substantial and rapid neuroplasticity. Sex differences appear in acute hyperthermia and motor effects, with pubescent males especially susceptible.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
February 16, 2017
N. Miner, J. O'Callaghan, T. Phillips et al.
25 citations
Mice given MDMA alone at a high dose showed temporary decreases in dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum and an increase in a marker of astrocyte activation (GFAP). When the methcathinones methylone or MDPV were combined with a lower MDMA dose, they did not affect dopamine or tyrosine hydroxylase levels but blocked the MDMA-induced increase in GFAP. Seven days after treatment, all measures returned to normal, indicating the changes were transient. Most drug groups caused an initial drop in body temperature followed by a gradual rise, but MDPV did not produce this pattern, suggesting it affects thermoregulation differently.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
January 1, 2010
Devon L Graham, Nicole R Herring, Tori L. Schaefer et al.
13 citations
Acute exposure to the club drugs MDMA (Ecstasy) and Foxy increases the stress hormone corticosterone in rats at all ages tested—preweaning, juvenile, and adulthood. Blood glucose also rises at all stages except in juveniles. No differences were found between males and females. These hormonal and metabolic changes may contribute to the behavioral and cognitive impairments previously linked to these drugs.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
February 21, 2022
Xiaojiaoyang Li, Juanhan Yu, Xue Wu et al.
High-dose ketamine given to mice for seven consecutive days produced schizophrenia-like symptoms, including increased activity and impaired spatial learning and memory. Ketamine reduced levels of three microRNAs (miR-15a-3p, miR-15b-3p, miR-16-1-3p) in the prefrontal cortex and one (miR-16-1-3p) in the hippocampus, while increasing expression of the dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) in those brain regions. In mouse hippocampal neurons, ketamine raised DRD1 levels in a dose-dependent way, and adding mimics of miR-15b-3p and miR-16-1-3p partially reversed this increase. A specific sequence in the DRD1 gene's regulatory region was identified as the target of these microRNAs.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
January 1, 2017
Tatiana O. Kolesnikova, Sergey L Khatsko, Vadim A Shevyrin et al.
Tiletamine, a veterinary anesthetic related to ketamine, produces dose-dependent sedative effects in adult zebrafish. Immersion in 1 mg/L caused only reduced top entries in a novel tank test, while 5 and 10 mg/L caused robust sedation and skin darkening. Brain samples confirmed tiletamine presence only at the two higher doses. The results demonstrate potent neurotropic effects of tiletamine in zebrafish and support the use of fish-based aquatic screens for studying NMDA receptor antagonists.