Action of MDMA (Ecstasy) and Its Metabolites on Arginine Vasopressin Release
John K. Fallon, Dhwanil Shah, Andrew T. Kicman, Andrew J. Hutt, John A. Henry, David J. Neep, Mary L. Forsling
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2002 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04181.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Healthy drug-free male volunteers |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 40 mg |
| Duration | 24-hour study period |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Vasopressin Metabolite Arginine Endocrinology Pharmacology |
| Citations | 54 |
| Key findings | MDMA and its metabolites, particularly HMMA, increase arginine vasopressin release from rat hypothalamus in vitro. |
Abstract
A bstract : 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has been reported to cause hyponatraemia, which appears to result from inappropriate secretion of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). After administration of a low dose of ( R,S )‐MDMA (40 mg) to eight healthy drug‐free male volunteers, concentrations of AVP in plasma increased significantly at 1, 2, and 4 hours. Although no relation between plasma MDMA and AVP was found on an examination of the entire data set over the 24‐hour study period, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed at 1 hour. As this occurred at a time when both AVP and MDMA concentrations were rising, it was postulated that a metabolite, or metabolites, could primarily be responsible for the increase in AVP. To test this hypothesis we examined the effect of MDMA and five of its metabolites, in the dose range 0.1‐1,000 nM, on AVP release from the isolated rat hypothalamus. All compounds tested were found to increase AVP release (using 10 nM and 1,000 nM concentrations), with 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), the major metabolite of MDMA, being the most potent, and 3,4‐dihydroxymethamphetamine (DHMA) the least potent. Each compound (1,000 nM), with the exception of DHMA, also enhanced the response to 40‐mM potassium stimulation. Our findings confirm that metabolites of MDMA, in addition to the parent drug, contribute to AVP secretion in vitro . Further work will demonstrate whether this is also true in vivo .
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin | 2000 | Experimental study | |
| Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Rat brain | 1988 | Experimental study | |
| The molecular mechanism of "ecstasy" [3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)]: serotonin transporters are targets for MDMA-induced serotonin release. Human platelet plasma membrane vesicles and bovine adrenal chromaffin granule membrane... | 1992 | Laboratory study | |
| Oxytocin-dependent reopening of a social reward learning critical period with MDMA | 2019 | Experimental study | |
| Effects of certain hallucinogenic amphetamine analogs on the release of [3H]-serotonin from rat brain synaptosomes Rat whole brain synaptosomes | 1982 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Designer drugs: mechanism of action and adverse effects Archives of Toxicology April 1, 2020
- The effects of MDMA on socio-emotional processing: Does MDMA differ from other stimulants? Journal of Psychopharmacology August 26, 2016
- Ecstasy (MDMA, MDA, MDEA, MBDB) consumption, seizures, related offences, prices, dosage levels and deaths in the UK (1994–2003) Journal of Psychopharmacology March 30, 2006
- Molecular and clinical aspects of potential neurotoxicity induced by new psychoactive stimulants and psychedelics Experimental Neurology June 4, 2021
- Metabolites of the ring-substituted stimulants MDMA, methylone and MDPV differentially affect human monoaminergic systems Journal of Psychopharmacology April 30, 2019
and 12 more in the library
Cites 14
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans Addiction May 1, 1994
- Pharmacology of MDMA in Humans Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences September 1, 2000
- Multiple Severe Complications From Recreational Ingestion of MDMA ('Ecstasy') JAMA August 14, 1987
- Stereospecific Analysis and Enantiomeric Disposition of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy) in Humans Clinical Chemistry July 1, 1999
and 9 more in the library