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

doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2014.08.018

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)

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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.

Comparable studies

Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design
Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Rats (implied by typical neurochemical study context)	1987	Experimental study
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine destroy serotonin terminals in rat brain: quantification of neurodegeneration by measurement of [3H]paroxetine-labeled serotonin uptake sites. Rat brain	1987	Animal experiment
Comparison of the monoamine transporters from human and mouse in their sensitivities to psychostimulant drugs Human and mouse dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters expressed in cells	2006	In vitro laboratory study
Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat Rats	1998	Experimental study
Altered Serotonin Innervation Patterns in the Forebrain of Monkeys Treated with (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Seven Years Previously: Factors Influencing Abnormal Recovery Squirrel monkeys treated with MDMA	1999	Observational cohort

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

Adaptive Plasticity in the Hippocampus of Young Mice Intermittently Exposed to MDMA Could Be the Origin of Memory Deficits. Molecular Neurobiology December 2016

Cites 17

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