On the Mechanisms Underlying 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Toxicity: The Dilemma of the Chicken and the Egg
Elena Puerta, Isabel Hervias, Norberto Aguirre
Neuropsychobiology 2009 DOI: 10.1159/000253548 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Argues that the two leading hypotheses for MDMA neurotoxicity—dopamine metabolism inside serotonin terminals and MDMA metabolism into pro-oxidant compounds—are not mutually exclusive and can be reconciled into a unified mechanism. |
Abstract
Administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) to various experimental animals has been shown to induce a selective damage to serotonergic axon terminals. While a great consensus appears to exist regarding the causative role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mechanisms underlying MDMA toxicity, the source of free radicals is still a matter of debate. While some authors support dopamine metabolism/oxidation inside 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) terminals as the key factor responsible for ROS formation and final 5-HT terminal degeneration, others believe it is MDMA metabolism into pro-oxidant compounds. Although at first sight both hypotheses appear to contend with each other, it may not be the case. This mini-review was therefore undertaken to try to reconcile both hypotheses and to address the dilemma of the causality of MDMA neurotoxicity.