Repeated MDMA (“Ecstasy”) exposure in adolescent male rats alters temperature regulation, spontaneous motor activity, attention, and serotonin transporter binding
Brian J. Piper, Joseph B. Fraiman, Jerrold S. Meyer
Developmental Psychobiology 2005 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20085 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 5 mg/kg hourly for 4 hours on every fifth day from postnatal day 35-60 |
| Duration | From postnatal day 35-60, with behavioral testing beginning 4 days after the final dose |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Habituation Serotonin transporter Microdialysis Dopamine Anesthesia |
| Citations | 71 |
| Key findings | Repeated adolescent MDMA exposure led to later behavioral changes and reduced serotonin transporter binding in the neocortex. |
Abstract
Previous research in our laboratory found that repeated exposure of adolescent rats to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impaired working memory and reduced anxiety. The present experiment extended these findings by investigating the physiological, behavioral, and neurotoxic effects of a modified MDMA treatment regimen. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received 5 mg/kg of MDMA hourly for a period of 4 hr on every fifth day from postnatal day 35-60. Acute effects of the MDMA treatment included hypothermia, serotonin syndrome behavior, and ejaculation. Body weight gain was attenuated by repeated drug administration. The animals completed anxiety and working memory tests beginning 4 days after the final MDMA dose. MDMA altered habituation to the open-field, increased locomotor activity in the elevated plus-maze, decreased attention in the novel object-recognition test, and reduced serotonin transporter binding in the neocortex. These results indicate that repeated exposure to a relatively moderate MDMA dose during adolescence produces later changes in behavior and neurochemistry.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 25
- A developmental comparison of the neurobehavioral effects of ecstasy (MDMA) Neurotoxicology and Teratology October 21, 2006
- Effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on serotonin transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 protein and gene expression in rats: implications for MDMA neurotoxicity Journal of Neurochemistry November 30, 2009
- Neural Effects of MDMA as Determined by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Awake Marmoset Monkeys Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2006
- The intriguing effects of ecstasy (MDMA) on cognitive function in mice subjected to a minimal traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Psychopharmacology April 1, 2011
- Experience-dependent changes in temperature and behavioral activity induced by MDMA Physiology & Behavior August 1, 2006
and 20 more in the library
Cites 12
- Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1987
- Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat Journal of Neuroscience July 1, 1998
- Age-dependent sensitivity of rats to the long-term effects of the serotonergic neurotoxicant (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) correlates with the magnitude of the MDMA-induced thermal response. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics October 1, 1995
- Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA (“Ecstasy”) users: A longitudinal investigation Neurology April 10, 2001
- The effect of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ?ecstasy?) and its metabolites on neurohypophysial hormone release from the isolated rat hypothalamus British Journal of Pharmacology February 1, 2002
and 7 more in the library