Neuronal reorganization in adult rats neonatally exposed to (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Michael T. Williams, Matthew R. Skelton, Ian D. Longacre, Kimberly N. Huggins, Amanda M. Maple, Charles V. Vorhees, Russell W. Brown
Toxicology Reports October 11, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2014.08.018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 20 mg/kg twice daily, 8 h apart |
| Duration | Postnatal day 11 to 20 |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Development Golgi–cox staining Dentate gyrus Entorhinal cortex |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Developmental MDMA exposure in rats caused long-lasting changes in neuronal architecture, including shorter dendrites and altered spine density in the nucleus accumbens, dentate gyrus, and entorhinal cortex. |
Abstract
The abuse of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) during pregnancy is of concern. MDMA treatment of rats during a period of brain growth analogous to late human gestation leads to neurochemical and behavioral changes. MDMA from postnatal day (P)11–20 in rats produces reductions in serotonin and deficits in spatial and route-based navigation. In this experiment we examined the impact of MDMA from P11 to P20 (20 mg/kg twice daily, 8 h apart) on neuronal architecture. Golgi impregnated sections showed significant changes. In the nucleus accumbens, the dendrites were shorter with fewer spines, whereas in the dentate gyrus the dendritic length was decreased but with more spines, and for the entorhinal cortex, reductions in basilar and apical dendritic lengths in MDMA animals compared with saline animals were seen. The data show that neuronal cytoarchitectural changes are long-lasting following developmental MDMA exposure and are in regions consistent with the learning and memory deficits observed in such animals.