Attenuation of alcohol consumption by MDMA (ecstasy) in two strains of alcohol-preferring rats.
A H Rezvani, P L Garges, D B Miller, C J Gordon
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior September 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(92)90645-v (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Alcohol-preferring Fawn-Hooded (FH) and alcohol-preferring (P) rats |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 5.0 mg/kg |
| Duration | 1 or 3 consecutive days of MDMA administration; blood alcohol measured at 1, 3, and 5 h after alcohol |
| Topics | Serotonin MDMA |
| Keywords | Animals Rats, inbred strains N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine Body temperature Drinking behavior Alcohol drinking Species specificity Eating Male |
| Key findings | A single 5.0 mg/kg dose of MDMA significantly decreased ethanol intake and increased water intake in both FH and P rats; three consecutive daily doses also reduced alcohol intake in both strains but increased water intake only in P rats. MDMA produced hyperthermia in FH rats and hypothermia in P rats, and did not significantly alter alcohol pharmacokinetics, which the authors interpret as a central effect. |
Abstract
Alcohol preference and manifestation of alcoholism are thought by many to be associated with serotonin (5-HT) dysfunction in the brain. Thus, experiments were performed to determine the effect of acute and subchronic administration of (+/-) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), an amphetamine analog that stimulates 5-HT release, on alcohol preference in two strains of alcohol-preferring rats, the Fawn-Hooded (FH) and alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Rats were individually housed and provided free access to a solution of 10% ethanol, food, and water. Ethanol, food, and water intakes were measured daily. After establishing a stable baseline for ethanol and water intake, each rat was injected SC with a dose of 5.0 mg/kg MDMA or an equal volume of saline for 1 or 3 consecutive days. Body temperature was recorded immediately before and 120, 240, and 360 min after MDMA treatment. Ethanol, food, and water intake were measured for the preceding 24 h. Further, to determine the effect of MDMA on alcohol metabolism rats were injected with 5.0 mg/kg MDMA or saline and 15 min later with 2.5 g/kg alcohol. Then, blood alcohol levels were determined at 1, 3, and 5 h after alcohol administration. Our results show that a single administration of 5.0 mg/kg MDMA significantly decreased ethanol intake in both FH and P rats and increased water intake. Subchronic administration of 5.0 mg/kg MDMA for 3 consecutive days significantly attenuated alcohol intake in both strains but only increased water intake in P rats. Administration of MDMA induced hyper- and hypothermia in FH and P rats, respectively. This drug failed to exert any significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of alcohol, indicating a central effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Deconstructing Ecstasy: The Politics Of Mdma Research Addiction Research & Theory 2000
- Attenuation of alcohol consumption by a novel nontoxic ibogaine analogue (18-methoxycoronaridine) in alcohol-preferring rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior October 1, 1997
- Ethanol increases the distribution of MDMA to the rat brain: possible implications in the ethanol-induced potentiation of the psychostimulant effects of MDMA The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology December 2, 2008
- Modulation of high alcohol drinking in the inbred Fawn-Hooded (FH/Wjd) rat strain: implications for treatment. Addiction Biology September 1, 2006
- Why Psychiatry Needs 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine: A Child Psychiatrist's Perspective Neurotherapeutics May 5, 2017
and 7 more in the library
Cites 12
- Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1987
- Altered responses to serotonergic agents in Fawn-Hooded rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior March 1, 1985
- Serotonergic-dopaminergic mediation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"). Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 1988
- Stimulant and hallucinogenic behavioral profiles of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and N-ethyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine in rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics November 1, 1988
- 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
and 7 more in the library