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Effects of ambient temperature on the relative reinforcing strength of MDMA using a choice procedure in monkeys.

Matthew L Banks, Jon E. Sprague, Paul W Czoty, Michael A Nader

Psychopharmacology January 2008 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0932-7 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 5
Population Rhesus monkeys
Intervention MDMA
Dose 0.03-0.3 mg/kg/injection
Topics MDMA
Key findings Elevating ambient temperature increased the relative reinforcing strength of 0.03 mg/kg/injection MDMA, while lowering temperature attenuated choice of 0.1 mg/kg/injection MDMA. Noncontingent MDMA dose-dependently reinstated drug-lever responding, but this effect was unaffected by temperature.

Abstract

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is frequently used in hot environments, such as rave parties. Studies in laboratory animals have shown that ambient temperature can alter the behavioral and neurochemical effects of MDMA. To examine the influence of ambient temperature on the relative reinforcing strength of MDMA and reinstatement of behavior previously maintained by MDMA is the objective of the study. The effects of cool (18 degrees C), room (24 degrees C), and warm (31 degrees C) temperatures were examined when MDMA was available under a concurrent fixed-ratio 30 schedule of MDMA (saline, 0.03-0.3 mg/kg/injection) and food choice in rhesus monkeys (n = 5). During saline substitutions, the effect of noncontingent MDMA (0.03-0.3 mg/kg) on response allocation was examined at each ambient temperature. At room temperature, MDMA choice increased as a function of dose, such that food was preferred over a low MDMA dose (0.03 mg/kg/injection), whereas higher doses were preferred over food. Elevating the ambient temperature significantly increased the relative reinforcing strength of 0.03 mg/kg/injection MDMA, and lowering the ambient temperature significantly attenuated the choice of 0.1 mg/kg/injection MDMA. Noncontingent injections of MDMA administered before a session in which saline was the alternative to food dose-dependently increased injection-lever responding; this effect was not influenced by ambient temperature. These results suggest that ambient temperature can affect the relative reinforcing strength of MDMA, but not MDMA-induced reinstatement. Furthermore, these results suggest environmental strategies for decreasing the reinforcing strength of MDMA.

Comparable studies

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

Study Year Design Participants
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

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