Neurotoxicity of Methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Laura E. Halpin, Stuart A. Collins, Bryan K. Yamamoto
Life Science July 24, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2013.07.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Citations | 195 |
| Key findings | Methamphetamine and MDMA produce persistent damage to dopamine and serotonin nerve terminals through mechanisms including excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage, and oxidative stress. |
Abstract
Amphetamines are a class of psychostimulant drugs that are widely abused for their stimulant, euphoric, empathogenic and hallucinogenic properties. Many of these effects result from acute increases in dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission. Subsequent to these acute effects, methamphetamine and 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produce persistent damage to dopamine and serotonin nerve terminals. This review summarizes the numerous interdependent mechanisms including excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress that have been demonstrated to contribute to this damage. Emerging non-neuronal mechanisms by which the drugs may contribute to monoaminergic terminal damage, as well as the neuropsychiatric consequences of this terminal damage are also presented. Methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) have similar chemical structures and pharmacologic properties compared to other abused substances including cathinone (khat), as well as a relatively new class of novel synthetic amphetamines known as ‘bath salts’ that have gained popularity amongst drug abusers.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Pharmacology of MDMA | 2004 | Review | |
| Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research | 2001 | Review | |
| 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans | 1994 | Review | |
| (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals | 2000 | Review | |
| Amphetamine toxicities | 2010 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 28
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 12, 2018
- Neurotoxicity of MDMA: Main effects and mechanisms. Experimental Neurology October 1, 2021
- Autophagy activation is involved in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('ecstasy')--induced neurotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons. PLoS One December 31, 2014
- Para-Halogenation of Amphetamine and Methcathinone Increases the Mitochondrial Toxicity in Undifferentiated and Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells International Journal of Molecular Sciences April 18, 2020
- Increased iNOS and Nitrosative Stress in Dopaminergic Neurons of MDMA-Exposed Rats International Journal of Molecular Sciences March 12, 2019
and 23 more in the library
Cites 24
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- Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals Science September 6, 1985
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and 19 more in the library