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Studies on the effect of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) on the body temperature of rats housed at different ambient room temperatures

Alfred Richard Green, Esther O’shea, Kathryn S. Saadat, J.m. Elliott, María Isabel Colado

British Journal of Pharmacology July 4, 2005 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706318 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Experimental study Peer reviewed
Population Rats
Interventions MDMA remoxipride SCH23390
Dose 5 mg kg−1 i.p.
Duration Acute and 7-day follow-up
Topics MDMA
Keywords Hypothermia Hyperthermia Antagonist Endocrinology Dopamine Thermoregulation Amphetamine Pharmacology
Citations 70
Key findings MDMA-induced hypothermia at cool ambient temperature is mediated by dopamine D2 receptors, and prior serotonin depletion impairs tail vasodilation, a critical heat-loss mechanism.

Abstract

3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) administration to rats produces hyperthermia if they are housed in normal or warm ambient room temperature ( T a ) conditions (20°C), but hypothermia when in cool conditions ( T a 17°C). We have now investigated some of the mechanisms involved. MDMA (5 mg kg −1 i.p.) produced a rapid decrease in rectal temperature in rats at T a 15°C. This response was blocked by pretreatment with the dopamine D 2 receptor antagonist remoxipride (10 mg kg −1 i.p.), but unaltered by pretreatment with the D 1 antagonist SCH23390 (1.1 mg kg −1 i.p.). MDMA (5 mg kg −1 ) did not alter the tail temperature of rats at T a 15°C, but decreased the tail temperature of rats at T a 30°C. A neurotoxic dose of MDMA (three doses of 5 mg kg −1 given 3 h apart) decreased cortical and hippocampal 5‐HT content by approximately 30% 7 days later. This lesion did not influence the rise in tail temperature when rats were moved from T a 20°C to 30°C compared to nonlesioned controls, but did result in a lower tail temperature than that of controls when they were returned to T a 24°C. Acute administration of MDMA (5 mg kg −1 ) to MDMA‐lesioned rats produced a sustained decrease in tail temperature in rats housed at T a 30°C compared to nonlesioned controls. These data suggest that the thermoregulatory problems previously observed in MDMA‐lesioned rats housed at T a 30°C result, partially, from their inability to lose heat by vasodilation of the tail, a major heat‐loss organ in this species. British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146 , 306–312. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706318

Comparable studies

Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Rats (implied by typical neurochemical study context) 1987 Experimental study
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. Rat brain 1987 Animal experiment
Comparison of the monoamine transporters from human and mouse in their sensitivities to psychostimulant drugs Human and mouse dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters expressed in cells 2006 In vitro laboratory study
Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat Rats 1998 Experimental study
Altered Serotonin Innervation Patterns in the Forebrain of Monkeys Treated with (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Seven Years Previously: Factors Influencing Abnormal Recovery Squirrel monkeys treated with MDMA 1999 Observational cohort

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