Profile of MDMA Self-Administration from a Large Cohort of Rats: MDMA Develops a Profile of Dependence with Extended Testing
Susan Schenk, Joyce Colussi‐mas, Jennifer Do, Judith Bird
Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research 2012 DOI: 10.4303/jdar/235602 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 128 |
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | MDMA self-administration |
| Dose | 1.0 mg/kg/infusion |
| Duration | 25-day cut-off period for initial acquisition; additional 14 days for a subgroup |
| Topics | MDMA Addiction |
| Keywords | Cohort Administration probate law Pharmacology |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | MDMA is a reliable reinforcer for about half of a large sample of rats, and acquisition of self-administration requires more test sessions than is typical for other drugs of abuse. |
Abstract
The present study provides a profile of acqui- sition and maintenance of self-administration of +/-3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) obtained from a large cohort of rats tested during a 2 year period. Of the 128 rats, 49% self-administered 1.0 mg/kg/infusion MDMA to an initial criterion within a 25 day cut-off period. The number of test sessions required to meet this initial criterion was normally distributed around an average of 15.9 days and responding increased in a compensatory manner when the dose was decreased. In a subgroup of rats that self-administered MDMA for an additional 14 days intake increased from 8.5 to 15.25 mg/kg/day. Thus, under these conditions, MDMA is a reliable reinforcer for about half of a large sample of rats, responding is dose-dependent and acquisition of self-administration for these sensitive rats requires more test sessions than is typically used for studies examining self-administration of other drugs of abuse.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reinforcing Effects of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) in Drug-Naive and Cocaine-Trained Rats Rats | 2001 | Experimental study | |
| Neurotoxic Effects of MDMA on Brain Serotonin Neurons: Evidence from Neurochemical and Radioligand Binding Studiesa Rats and rhesus monkeys | 1990 | Review | |
| Enhancement of conditioned place preference response to cocaine in rats following subchronic administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Male Sprague-Dawley rats | 2000 | Experimental study | |
| Contribution of impulsivity and novelty-seeking to the acquisition and maintenance of MDMA self-administration Rats | 2012 | Observational cohort | |
| Involvement of NMDA glutamate receptors in the acquisition and reinstatement of the conditioned place preference induced by MDMA Adolescent male mice | 2015 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Intravenous self-administration of mephedrone, methylone and MDMA in female rats Neuropharmacology January 17, 2015
- The Reinforcing and Rewarding Effects of Methylone, a Synthetic Cathinone Commonly Found in “Bath Salts” Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy December 1, 2012
- Regional changes in ∆FosB expression in rat brain following MDMA self‐administration predict increased sensitivity to effects of locally infused MDMA Addiction Biology September 1, 2020
- High ambient temperature facilitates the acquisition of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) self-administration bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- The role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in MDMA self-administration 2016
and 9 more in the library
Cites 14
- MDMA self‐administration in rats: acquisition, progressive ratio responding and serotonin transporter binding European Journal of Neuroscience November 16, 2007
- MDMA Self-Administration in Laboratory Animals: A Summary of the Literature and Proposal for Future Research Neuropsychobiology 2009
- Problematic versus non-problematic ecstasy/MDMA use: the influence of drug usage patterns and pre-existing psychiatric factors Journal of Psychopharmacology March 30, 2006
- Dopaminergic mechanisms of reinstatement of MDMA‐seeking behaviour in rats British Journal of Pharmacology December 30, 2010
- Drug seeking in response to a priming injection of MDMA in rats: relationship to initial sensitivity to self-administered MDMA and dorsal striatal dopamine The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology March 25, 2010
and 9 more in the library