The Nature of 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonergic Dysfunction: Evidence for and Against the Neurodegeneration Hypothesis
Dominik K. Biezonski, Jerrold S. Meyer
Current Neuropharmacology March 1, 2011 DOI: 10.2174/157015911795017146 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats and nonhuman primates (experimental animal models); heavy Ecstasy users (human neuroimaging) |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Neurodegeneration Hallucinogen Neuropharmacology |
| Citations | 51 |
| Key findings | MDMA-induced reductions in serotonergic markers may stem from neuroregulatory mechanisms rather than neurodegeneration. |
Abstract
High doses of the recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") have been well-documented to reduce the expression of serotonergic markers in several forebrain regions of rats and nonhuman primates. Neuroimaging studies further suggest that at least one of these markers, the plasma membrane serotonin transporter (SERT), may also be reduced in heavy Ecstasy users. Such effects, particularly when observed in experimental animal models, have generally been interpreted as reflecting a loss of serotonergic fibers and terminals following MDMA exposure. This view has been challenged, however, based on the finding that MDMA usually does not elicit glial cell reactions known to occur in response to central nervous system (CNS) damage. The aim of this review is to address both sides of the MDMA-neurotoxicity controversy, including recent findings from our laboratory regarding the potential of MDMA to induce serotonergic damage in a rat binge model. Our data add to the growing literature implicating neuroregulatory mechanisms underlying MDMA-induced serotonergic dysfunction and questioning the need to invoke a degenerative response to explain such dysfunction.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology March 12, 2020
- Human psychobiology of MDMA or ‘Ecstasy’: an overview of 25 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2013
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): current perspectives Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation November 1, 2013
- A prospective study of learning, memory, and executive function in new MDMA users Addiction July 26, 2012
- Separating the agony from ecstasy: R(−)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine has prosocial and therapeutic-like effects without signs of neurotoxicity in mice Neuropharmacology October 6, 2017
and 24 more in the library
Cites 25
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- Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Journal of Neuroscience August 1, 1988
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- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine destroy serotonin terminals in rat brain: quantification of neurodegeneration by measurement of [3H]paroxetine-labeled serotonin uptake sites. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics September 1, 1987
- Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals Science September 6, 1985
and 20 more in the library