Differential effects of cocaine and MDMA self-administration on cortical serotonin transporter availability in monkeys.
Robert W Gould, H Donald Gage, Matthew L Banks, Brandi L Blaylock, Paul W Czoty, Michael A Nader
Neuropharmacology 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.04.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Adult male rhesus monkeys with a history of cocaine or MDMA self-administration and drug-naïve controls |
| Measures | SERT availability measured by PET with [(11)C]DASB |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Key findings | Cocaine self-administration history was associated with significantly higher cortical SERT availability compared to controls, while MDMA self-administration was associated with lower SERT availability, indicating differential effects of the two drugs on cortical serotonergic function. |
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration alters brain dopaminergic and serotonergic function primarily in mesolimbic and prefrontal brain regions whereas 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) self-administration predominately alters brain serotonergic function in a more widespread distribution across cortical regions. We previously reported that, compared to drug-naïve rhesus monkeys, self-administration of cocaine but not MDMA was associated with increased serotonin transporter (SERT) availability in two mesolimbic regions, the caudate nucleus and putamen, as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) using the SERT-specific ligand [(11)C]-3-amino-4(2-dimethylamino-methyl-phenylsulfanyl)-benzonitrile ([(11)C]DASB). The goal of the present study was to extend this comparison between cocaine and MDMA self-administration to SERT availability in cortical regions, which have been shown previously to be affected in human drug abusers and are associated with executive function. PET studies using [(11)C]DASB were conducted in adult male rhesus monkeys with a history of cocaine (mean intake = 742.6 mg/kg) or MDMA (mean intake = 121.0 mg/kg) self-administration, and drug-naïve controls (n = 4/group). Regions of interest were drawn for several cortical (prefrontal, temporal, parietal, occipital and midcingulate) and subcortical (thalamus, amygdala and hippocampus) areas. Cortical SERT availability was significantly higher in monkeys with a cocaine self-administration history compared to controls whereas MDMA self-administration resulted in lower levels of SERT availability. These data extend our previous findings indicating that cocaine and MDMA self-administration differentially alter SERT availability in subcortical and cortical regions, which may have implications for development of treatment drugs.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in Psychiatry Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 10, 2018
- Comparison of the effects of abstinence on MDMA and cocaine self-administration in rats. Psychopharmacology November 2018
- Differential effects of MDMA and cocaine on inhibitory avoidance and object recognition tests in rodents. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory December 2017
- Neurochemical substrates of the rewarding effects of MDMA: implications for the development of pharmacotherapies to MDMA dependence. Behavioural Pharmacology April 2016
- The effects of ecstasy (MDMA) on brain serotonin transporters are dependent on age-of-first exposure in recreational users and animals. PLoS One 2012
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