High ambient temperature increases the toxicity and lethality of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and methcathinone.
Yu Chen, Huyen T N Tran, Yasir H Saber, F Scott Hall
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior May 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172912 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Interventions | Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Methcathinone (MCAT) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Hepatotoxicity Hyperthermia Hypothermia Lethality Methcathinone Synthetic cathinones |
| Key findings | MDMA produced hepatotoxicity, elevated plasma ammonia, and lethality in mice at room temperature, whereas even a very high methcathinone dose produced limited toxic or lethal effects. High ambient temperature potentiated the toxic and lethal effects of both MDMA and methcathinone. The authors suggest that hepatotoxicity, plasma ammonia, and brain glutamate function are involved in MDMA-induced lethality, as has been shown for methamphetamine neurotoxicity. |
Abstract
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methcathinone (MCAT) are abused psychostimulant drugs that produce adverse effects in human users that include hepatotoxicity and death. Recent work has suggested a connection between hepatotoxicity, elevations in plasma ammonia, and brain glutamate function for methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity. These experiments investigated the effect of ambient temperature on the toxicity and lethality produced by MDMA and MCAT in mice, and whether these effects might involve similar mechanisms to those described for METH neurotoxicity. Under low (room temperature) ambient temperature conditions, MDMA induced hepatotoxicity, elevated plasma ammonia levels, and induced lethality. Under the same conditions, even a very high dose of MCAT produced limited toxic or lethal effects. High ambient temperature conditions potentiated the toxic and lethal effects of both MDMA and MCAT. These studies suggest that hepatotoxicity, plasma ammonia, and brain glutamate function are involved in MDMA-induced lethality, as has been shown for METH neurotoxicity. The toxicity and lethality of both MDMA and MCAT were potentiated by high ambient temperatures. Although an initial mouse study reported that several cathinones were much less toxic than METH or MDMA, the present results suggest that it will be essential to assess the potential dangers posed by these drugs under high ambient temperatures.