Neurotoxicity of Ecstasy (MDMA): An Overview
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology June 27, 2010 DOI: 10.2174/138920110791591490 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Neurotoxicity Pharmacology Neurochemical Serotonin syndrome |
| Citations | 63 |
| Key findings | MDMA induces neurotoxicity through multiple mechanisms, including serotonin depletion, neuronal degeneration, and hyperthermia, leading to acute and long-term effects in both animals and humans. |
Abstract
"Ecstasy" (MDMA) is a powerful hallucinogenic drug which has raised concern worldwide because of its high abuse liability. A plethora of studies have demonstrated that MDMA has the potential to induce neurotoxicity both in human and laboratory animals. Although research on MDMA has been carried out by many different laboratories, the mechanism underlying MDMA induced toxicity has not been fully elucidated. MDMA has the ability to reduce serotonin levels in terminals of axons in the cortex of rats and mice. Recently we have shown that it also has the potential to produce degenerate neurons in discrete areas of the brain such as insular and parietal cortex, thalamus, tenia tecta and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST). Acute effects of MDMA can result in a constellation of changes including arrthymias, hypertension, hyperthermia, serotonin (5-HT) syndrome, liver problems, seizures and also long lasting neurocognitive impairments including mood disturbances. In human MDMA abusers, there is evidence for reduction of serotonergic biochemical markers. Several factors may contribute to the MDMA-induced neurotoxicity, especially hyperthermia. Other factors potentially influencing MDMA toxicity include monoamine oxidase metabolism of dopamine and serotonin, nitric oxide generation, glutamate excitotoxicity, serotonin 2A receptor agonism and the formation of MDMA neurotoxic metabolites. In this review we will cover the following topics: pharmacological mechanisms, metabolic pathways and acute effects in laboratory animals, as well as in humans, with special attention on the mechanism and pathology of MDMA induced neurotoxicity.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Pharmacology of MDMA | 2004 | Review | |
| Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research | 2001 | Review | |
| 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans | 1994 | Review | |
| (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals | 2000 | Review | |
| Amphetamine toxicities | 2010 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- Autophagy activation is involved in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('ecstasy')--induced neurotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons. PLoS One December 31, 2014
- Increased iNOS and Nitrosative Stress in Dopaminergic Neurons of MDMA-Exposed Rats International Journal of Molecular Sciences March 12, 2019
- 5-Iodo-2-aminoindan (5-IAI): chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of a research chemical producing MDMA-like effects. Toxicology Letters March 27, 2013
- Psychedelic Psychiatry and the Consult-Liaison Psychiatrist: A Primer Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry January 21, 2021
- Effect of MDMA-Induced Axotomy on the Dorsal Raphe Forebrain Tract in Rats: An In Vivo Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. PLoS One June 10, 2016
and 26 more in the library