Memory impairment and hippocampus specific protein oxidation induced by ethanol intake and 3, 4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in mice
Clara Ros‐simó, Maria Moscoso‐castro, Jéssica Ruiz‐medina, Joaquim Ros, Olga Valverde
Journal of Neurochemistry March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12247 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adolescent CD1 mice |
| Interventions | Ethanol MDMA |
| Duration | 72 hours after treatment |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Hippocampus Oxidative stress Radial arm maze Prefrontal cortex Neurotransmitter Pharmacology Ethanol |
| Citations | 35 |
| Key findings | MDMA treatment caused oxidative damage to specific hippocampal proteins and impaired long-term declarative memory, whereas ethanol alone did not affect memory acquisition. |
Abstract
Abstract Ethanol and 3, 4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ( MDMA ) are popular recreational drugs widely abused by adolescents that may induce neurotoxic processes associated with behavioural alterations. Adolescent CD 1 mice were subjected to ethanol intake using the drinking in the dark ( DID ) procedure, acute MDMA or a combination. Considering that both drugs of abuse cause oxidative stress in the brain, protein oxidative damage in different brain areas was analysed 72 h after treatment using a proteomic approach. Damage to specific proteins in treated animals was significant in the hippocampus but not in the prefrontal cortex. The damaged hippocampus proteins were then identified by mass spectrometry, revealing their involvement in energy metabolism, structural function, axonal outgrowth and stability, and neurotransmitter release. Mice treated with MDMA displayed higher oxidative damage than ethanol‐treated mice. To determine whether this oxidative damage was affecting hippocampus activity, declarative memory was evaluated at 72 h after treatment using the object recognition assay and the radial arm maze. Although acquisition in the radial arm maze was not impaired by ethanol intake, MDMA treatment impaired long‐term memory in both tests. Therefore, oxidative damage to specific proteins observed under MDMA treatment affects important cellular function on the hippocampus that may contribute to declarative memory deficits.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Sex‐dependent long‐term effects of adolescent exposure to THC and/or MDMA on neuroinflammation and serotoninergic and cannabinoid systems in rats British Journal of Pharmacology November 15, 2013
- Increased iNOS and Nitrosative Stress in Dopaminergic Neurons of MDMA-Exposed Rats International Journal of Molecular Sciences March 12, 2019
- The effects of acute and repeated adolescent MDMA exposure on behavior, cognition, and the monoamine neurotransmitter systems: A review of human and pre-clinical research Behavioural Brain Research February 10, 2026
- A Systematic Review of the MDMA Model to Address Social Impairment in Autism. Current Neuropharmacology 2021
- Of mice and men on MDMA: a translational comparison of the neuropsychobiological effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy'). Brain Research November 14, 2019
and 4 more in the library
Cites 8
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental June 1, 2006
- THC Prevents MDMA Neurotoxicity in Mice PLoS One February 10, 2010
- Effects of repeated treatment with MDMA on working memory and behavioural flexibility in mice Addiction Biology January 19, 2012
- Intermittent ethanol exposure increases long-lasting behavioral and neurochemical effects of MDMA in adolescent mice. Psychopharmacology November 2011
and 3 more in the library