Methylenedioxyamphetamine: a selective effect on cortical content and turnover of 5-HT.
A G Romano, W Du, John A. Harvey
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior November 1994 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(94)90075-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rabbits |
| Intervention | MDA |
| Dose | 1.8 mg/kg single dose; 3.6 mg/kg single dose; 3.6 mg/kg/day for 4 days |
| Duration | Single-dose measurements from 30 min to 8 h; chronic dosing for 4 days |
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Key findings | Behaviorally effective, nonneurotoxic doses of MDA increased 5-HT content and decreased 5-HT turnover in rabbit frontal cortex, effects the authors note resemble those of other hallucinogens such as LSD and DOM, while dopamine and norepinephrine measures were largely unchanged and chronic dosing showed no evidence of 5-HT neurotoxicity. |
Abstract
This study examined the effects of the hallucinogen, MDA, on brain content of monoamines and their metabolites in the rabbit. A single 1.8 mg/kg dose of MDA produced 30 to 64% increases in the 5-HT content of frontal cortex from 30 to 120 min after injection and a decrease in 5-HT turnover from 30 min to 8 h, but had no effect in hippocampus, caudate nucleus, or hypothalamus. A single 3.6 mg/kg dose of MDA also reduced the turnover of 5-HT in frontal cortex, but this was accompanied by a decrease in 5-HIAA with no increase in 5-HT. The 1.8 and 3.6 mg/kg doses of MDA had no significant or consistent effects on the contents of DA, DOPAC, HVA, and NE in any brain area examined. Chronic administration of MDA (3.6 mg/kg/day for 4 days) failed to produce any evidence of a neurotoxic action on 5-HT neurons. Higher doses could not be employed because the LD50 of MDA was approximately 5 mg/kg. This study has demonstrated that behaviorally effective and nonneurotoxic doses of MDA produce increases in the content and decreases in turnover of 5-HT in frontal cortex that resemble those of other hallucinogens such as LSD and DOM.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on serotonin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Mice | 2021 | Observational cohort | |
| Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Rats (implied by typical neurochemical study context) | 1987 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors In vitro and in vivo (rodent) models | 2023 | 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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Journal of Neuroscience August 1, 1988
- 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. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics September 1, 1987
- Hallucinogenic Amphetamine Selectively Destroys Brain Serotonin Nerve Terminals Science September 6, 1985
- Enhanced learning following a single, acute dose of MDA. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior April 1993
- Choroid plexus epithelial cells in primary culture: a model of 5HT1C receptor activation by hallucinogenic drugs. Psychopharmacology 1991
and 2 more in the library