The effects of repeated administration of MDMA on the expression of sexual behavior in the male rat.
W A Dornan, J L Katz, George A. Ricaurte
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior July 1, 1991 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(91)90171-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Sexually vigorous male rats |
| Interventions | MDMA saline |
| Dose | 40 mg/kg MDMA; saline 1 ml/kg |
| Duration | Injections every 12 hours for 4 consecutive days; behavioral testing up to one week after the first test |
| Topics | Serotonin MDMA |
| Keywords | Hippocampus Corpus striatum Animals Rats N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine Hydroxyindoleacetic acid Motor activity Brain chemistry Ejaculation Male Sexual behavior, animal |
| Key findings | Repeated MDMA (40 mg/kg every 12 hours for 4 days) transiently disrupted male copulatory behavior in rats and lengthened ejaculation latency and postejaculatory intervals in those that still mated. One week later, behavior appeared unaffected despite marked depletion of striatal and hippocampal 5-HT and 5-HIAA, suggesting the behavioral recovery did not depend on restored serotonin content. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") is a potent neurotoxin which preferentially produces 5-HT nerve terminal degeneration in the CNS in both rodents and primates. Timely research on the behavioral effects of acute and long term treatment of MDMA is critical due to the neuropathological effects of MDMA and its abuse liability. Presently, there are no published reports that have systematically examined the effects of acute or chronic treatment of MDMA on animal sexual behavior. Accordingly, the effects of repeated systemic administration of MDMA on a variety of parameters of male sexual behavior in sexually vigorous male rats were studied. Treatment consisted of subcutaneous injections of MDMA (40 mg/kg) or saline (1 ml/kg) every 12 hours for 4 consecutive days. In addition, neurochemical assessments of brain 5-HT and 5-HIAA depletion following repeated MDMA treatment were also conducted using reverse phase liquid chromatography. The results of this study revealed that repeated systemic administration of MDMA to sexually vigorous male rats produced a transient disruption of the expression of male copulatory behavior. In addition, in MDMA-treated males that did display copulatory behavior, both the ejaculation latency and postejaculatory interval were dramatically lengthened when compared to saline injected controls. Surprisingly, one week after the first behavioral test, copulatory behavior in MDMA treated rats appeared unaffected despite a marked depletion of 5-HT and 5-HIAA content in the striatum, and hippocampus.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- The effects of MDMA on socio-emotional processing: Does MDMA differ from other stimulants? Journal of Psychopharmacology August 26, 2016
- Ecstasy (MDMA), Methamphetamine, and Date Rape (Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault): A Consideration of the Issues Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 1, 2006
- Motivations for Using MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) among African Americans: Implications for Prevention and Harm-Reduction Programs Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 13, 2017
- A Systematic Review of the MDMA Model to Address Social Impairment in Autism. Current Neuropharmacology 2021
- Sexual Risk Behaviors among African Americans Who Use MDMA (Molly/Ecstasy): Implications for HIV Prevention. Social work in public health June 1, 2020
and 2 more in the library
Cites 6
- 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
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- The Background and Chemistry of MDMA Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- MDMA and Human Sexual Function Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
and 1 more in the library