Effects of (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and methamphetamine on temperature and activity in rhesus macaques.
R D Crean, S A Davis, S N Von Huben, C C Lay, S N Katner, Michael A. Taffe
Neuroscience October 13, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.06.033 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study (nonhuman primate) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | Male rhesus monkeys |
| Interventions | MDMA MDA Methamphetamine |
| Dose | 0.56-2.4 mg/kg MDMA, 0.56-2.4 mg/kg MDA, 0.1-1.0 mg/kg METH |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | MDMA, MDA, and methamphetamine all significantly elevated body temperature in rhesus monkeys, but methamphetamine's effect lasted longer and disrupted nighttime cooling for up to 18 hours after 1.0 mg/kg, as did MDA at 1.78-2.4 mg/kg, while MDMA did not. Hyperthermia was independent of locomotor activity. |
Abstract
Severe and malignant hyperthermia is a frequently reported factor in emergency department (ED) visits and fatalities in which use of amphetamine drugs, such as (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and (+)methamphetamine (METH), is confirmed. Individuals who use "ecstasy" are also often exposed, intentionally or otherwise, to several of these structurally-related compounds alone or in combination. In animal studies the degree of (subcritical) hyperthermia is often related to the severity of amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity, suggesting health risks to the human user even when emergency medical services are not invoked. A clear distinction of thermoregulatory risks posed by different amphetamines is therefore critical to understand factors that may produce medical emergency related to hyperthermia. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the relative thermoregulatory disruption produced by recreational doses of MDMA, MDA and METH in nonhuman primates. Body temperature and spontaneous home cage activity were monitored continuously in six male rhesus monkeys via radiotelemetric devices. The subjects were challenged intramuscularly with 0.56-2.4 mg/kg MDMA, 0.56-2.4 mg/kg MDA and 0.1-1.0 mg/kg METH. All three amphetamines significantly elevated temperature; however the time course of effects differed. The acute effect of METH lasted hours longer than MDA or MDMA and a disruption of nighttime circadian cooling was observed as long as 18 h after 1.0 mg/kg METH and 1.78-2.4 mg/kg MDA, but not after MDMA. Activity levels were only reliably increased by 0.32 mg/kg METH. It is concluded that while all three substituted amphetamines produce hyperthermia in rhesus monkeys, the effects do not depend on elevated locomotor activity and exhibit differences between compounds. The results highlight physiological risks posed both by recreational use of the amphetamines and by current trials for clinical MDMA use.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- A direct comparison of the behavioral and physiological effects of methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans Psychopharmacology June 30, 2011
- MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 4, 2016
- The role of monoamines in the changes in body temperature induced by 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) and its derivatives British Journal of Pharmacology March 3, 2010
- In vivo pharmacology of MDMA and its enantiomers in rhesus monkeys. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology February 1, 2008
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Increases Affiliative Behaviors in Squirrel Monkeys in a Serotonin 2A Receptor-Dependent Manner Neuropsychopharmacology September 1, 2017
and 13 more in the library
Cites 28
- Human Pharmacology of MDMA Therapeutic Drug Monitoring March 19, 2004
- Comparison of the monoamine transporters from human and mouse in their sensitivities to psychostimulant drugs BMC Pharmacology March 3, 2006
- Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects and pharmacokinetics of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in humans. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics July 1, 1999
- Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001
- Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat Journal of Neuroscience July 1, 1998
and 23 more in the library