The neurochemical and stimulatory effects of putative metabolites of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in rats.
S Y Yeh, F L Hsu
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior July 1991 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(91)90165-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Interventions | MDA MDMA 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine alpha-methyldopamine alpha-methylnorepinephrine alpha-methylepinephrine |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg (as base), injected subcutaneously |
| Duration | Twice daily for either 5 or 7 consecutive doses; rats killed 24 h after the last injection |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Repeated MDA and MDMA administration reduced frontal-cortex serotonin and its metabolite 5-HIAA and increased locomotor activity in rats. The metabolites 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine and alpha-methyldopamine also reduced serotonin but did not affect 5-HIAA or locomotion, while alpha-methylepinephrine produced only a brief early increase in activity. |
Abstract
Rats were injected SC with a dose of 10 mg/kg (as base) of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine, alpha-methyldopamine and alpha-methylnorepinephrine, metabolites of MDA, and alpha-methylepinephrine, a putative metabolite of MDMA, twice daily for either 5 or 7 consecutive doses. The rats were killed 24 h after the last injection and monoamines in discrete brain regions were assayed. MDA, MDMA, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine and alpha-methyldopamine, but not alpha-methylepinephrine, decreased the concentration of serotonin (5-HT) in the frontal cortex. MDA and MDMA, but not 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine, alpha-methyldopamine and alpha-methylepinephrine, also decreased the concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the frontal cortexes. In stimulatory studies, MDA and MDMA, but not their metabolites except alpha-methylepinephrine, which increased activity at 15 and 30 min, increased locomotor activity from 15 to 180 min following the drug administration.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- The effect of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ?ecstasy?) and its metabolites on neurohypophysial hormone release from the isolated rat hypothalamus British Journal of Pharmacology February 1, 2002
- Behavioral metabolomics: how behavioral data can guide metabolomics research on neuropsychiatric disorders. Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society August 2, 2023
- Locomotor effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its deuterated form in mice: psychostimulant effects, stereotypy, and sensitization Psychopharmacology November 15, 2019
- Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Ecstasy-Induced Neurotoxicity: An Overview Molecular Neurobiology June 1, 2009
- Synthesis and cytotoxic profile of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy") and its metabolites on undifferentiated PC12 cells: A putative structure-toxicity relationship. Chemical Research in Toxicology October 2006
and 6 more in the library
Cites 11
- Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Journal of Neuroscience August 1, 1988
- Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1987
- 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
- The Complications of 'Ecstasy' (MDMA) JAMA March 18, 1988
and 6 more in the library