Effect of ambient temperature on hyperthermia and hyperkinesis induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy") in rats.
R I Dafters
Psychopharmacology April 1994 DOI: 10.1007/bf02249342 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | 3 |
| Dose | 5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | 24 h prior temperature exposure in experiment 1; 90-min cool exposure commencing 30 min after injection in experiment 2 |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | MDMA (5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg) produced hyperthermia in rats at 24 degrees C but hypothermia in rats kept at 11 degrees C for 24 hours before injection, while hyperkinesis occurred at both temperatures. A brief 90-minute exposure to 11 degrees C starting 30 minutes after injection significantly attenuated MDMA-induced hyperthermia without affecting hyperkinesis. |
Abstract
A stress-free, biotelemetric monitoring technique was used to investigate the effects of ambient temperature (Ta) on the hyperthermic and hyperkinetic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. In the first experiment a single injection of 5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg MDMA produced hyperthermia in rats maintained at a Ta of 24 degrees C but hypothermia in rats maintained at a Ta of 11 degrees C for 24 h prior to the injection. In contrast, hyperkinesis was induced at both Tas. In the second experiment, the effects of acute MDMA administration was compared in rats maintained at a standard Ta of 24 degrees C and in rats which were placed in a cool (11 degrees C) room for a brief (90-min) period commencing 30 min after the injection. The brief exposure to the cool environment produced significant attenuation of MDMA-induced hyperthermia but did not affect the magnitude of hyperkinesis. The implications of the results for the understanding of the thermotoxic effects of MDMA in human drug users are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 49
- 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
- The pharmacology of the acute hyperthermic response that follows administration of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) to rats British Journal of Pharmacology 2002
- A study of the neurotoxic effect of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) on 5‐HT neurones in the brains of mothers and neonates following administration of the drug during pregnancy British Journal of Pharmacology June 1, 1997
- The hyperthermic and neurotoxic effects of ‘Ecstasy’ (MDMA) and 3,4 methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) in the Dark Agouti (DA) rat, a model of the CYP2D6 poor metabolizer phenotype British Journal of Pharmacology August 1, 1995
and 44 more in the library
Cites 3
- Toxicity and deaths from 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy"). The Lancet August 15, 1992
- Elevation of serum prolactin and corticosterone concentrations in the rat after the administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 1, 1988
- Effects of the enantiomers of MDA, MDMA and related analogues on [3H]serotonin and [3H]dopamine release from superfused rat brain slices. European Journal of Pharmacology December 16, 1986