A PET study of effects of chronic 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) on serotonin markers in Göttingen minipig brain
Paul Cumming, Mette Møller, Kjeld Benda, Luciano Minuzzi, Steen Jakobsen, Svend Borup Jensen, Bente Pakkenberg, Anette Kirstine Stark, Jan Bert Gramsbergen, Mette Findal Andreasen, Aage Kristian Olsen Alstrup
Synapse April 5, 2007 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20377 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study with baseline and post-treatment PET imaging Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Göttingen minipigs |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | greater than 20 mg/kg total; mean 42 mg/kg total |
| Duration | 2–4 days treatment, 2 weeks post-treatment imaging |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Neurochemical Serotonin transporter 5-HT Receptor Endocrinology Pharmacology |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key findings | MDMA doses above 20 mg/kg reduce serotonin transporter binding in the porcine brain without altering 5HT1A receptor binding or the number of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphé nucleus. |
Abstract
Abstract The psychostimulant 3,4‐methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) evokes degeneration of telencephalic serotonin innervations in rodents, nonhuman primates, and human recreational drug users. However, there has been no alternative to nonhuman primates for studies of the cognitive and neurochemical consequences of serotonin depletion in a large‐bodied animal. Therefore, we used positron emission tomography (PET) with [ 11 C]DASB to map the distribution of plasma membrane serotonin transporters in brain of Göttingen minipigs, first in a baseline condition, and again at 2 weeks after treatment with MDMA (i.m.), administered at a range of doses. In parallel PET studies, [ 11 C]WAY‐100635 was used to map the distribution of serotonin 5HT 1A receptors. The acute MDMA treatment in awake pigs evoked 1°C of hyperthermia. MDMA at total doses greater than 20 mg/kg administered over 2–4 days reduced the binding potential (pB) of [ 11 C]DASB for serotonin transporters in porcine brain. A mean total dose of 42 mg/kg MDMA in four animals evoked a mean 32% decrease in [ 11 C]DASB pB in mesencephalon and diencephalon, and a mean 53% decrease in telencephalic structures. However, this depletion of serotonin innervations was not associated with consistent alterations in the binding of [ 11 C]WAY‐100635 to serotonin 5HT 1A receptors. Stereological cell counting of serotonin‐positive neurons, which numbered 95,000 in the dorsal raphé nucleus of normal animals, was unaffected in MDMA‐treated group. group. Synapse 61:478–487, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.