MDMA attenuates THC withdrawal syndrome in mice.
Clara Touriño, Rafaël Maldonado, Olga Valverde
Psychopharmacology July 2007 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0772-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Interventions | MDMA THC rimonabant |
| Dose | MDMA 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg i.p.; rimonabant 10 mg/kg i.p. |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Key findings | Acute and chronic MDMA dose-dependently decreased THC withdrawal severity in mice, possibly via serotonergic mechanisms, suggesting a basis for combined MDMA and cannabis use. |
Abstract
3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cannabis are widely abused illicit drugs that are frequently consumed in combination. Interactions between these two drugs have been reported in several pharmacological responses observed in animals, such as body temperature, anxiety, cognition, and reward. However, the interaction between MDMA and cannabis in addictive processes such as physical dependence has not been elucidated yet. In this study, the effects of acute and chronic MDMA were evaluated on the behavioral manifestations of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) abstinence in mice. THC withdrawal syndrome was precipitated by injecting the cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant (10 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice chronically treated with THC and receiving MDMA (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg i.p.) or saline just before the withdrawal induction or chronically after the THC administration. Both chronic and acute MDMA decreased in a dose-dependent manner the severity of THC withdrawal. In vivo microdialysis experiments showed that acute MDMA (5 mg/kg, i.p.) administration increased extracellular serotonin levels in the prefrontal cortex, but not dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. Our results also indicate that the attenuation of THC abstinence symptoms was not due to a direct interaction between rimonabant and MDMA nor to the result of the locomotor stimulating effects of MDMA. The modulation of the cannabinoid withdrawal syndrome by acute or chronic MDMA suggests a possible mechanism to explain the associated consumption of these two drugs in humans.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- THC Prevents MDMA Neurotoxicity in Mice PLoS One February 10, 2010
- Sex‐dependent long‐term effects of adolescent exposure to THC and/or MDMA on neuroinflammation and serotoninergic and cannabinoid systems in rats British Journal of Pharmacology November 15, 2013
- Psychedelics: A review of their effects on recalled aversive memories and fear/anxiety expression in rodents Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 20, 2024
- Acute blockade of CB1 receptor leads to reinstatement of MDMA-induced conditioned place preference. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior November 2011
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Cites 11
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and 6 more in the library