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.