The effect of 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine on expression of neurotrophic factors in hippocampus of male rats.
Sara Soleimani Asl, Mohamad Bakhtiar Hesam Shariati, Mehdi Medizadeh, Mohammad Ahmadpanah, Maryam Sohrabi
Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2017 DOI: 10.14196/mjiri.31.60 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Adult male Wistar rats (200-250 g) |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg |
| Duration | Single or multiple injections for 2 consecutive days per week for 2 months |
| Measures | Western blotting, RT-PCR |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Bdnf Nt4 Trk- β |
| Key findings | MDMA administration significantly decreased hippocampal BDNF, Trk-β, and NT4 protein and gene expression compared with saline controls (p<0.05). The acute MDMA group showed the lowest expression of these neurotrophic factors, whereas the authors suggest the chronic group partially compensated for MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. |
Abstract
Background: 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a chemical derivative of amphetamine that can induce learning and memory impairment. Due to the effect of neurotrophins on memory and learning, the impact of MDMA was evaluated on the brain - derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin- 4 (NT-4), and tropomyosin- related kinase B (Trk- β) expression in the hippocampus.
Methods: In this study, 20 adult male Wistar rats (200-250 g) received saline (1 mL) or 10 mg/kg of MDMA intraperitoneally as single or multiple injection for 2 consecutive days per week for 2 months. Expression of BDNF, Trk-β, and NT4 were assessed using Western blotting and RT PCR methods.
Results: Our results revealed that the expression of BDNF, Trk- β, and NT4 proteins and genes significantly decreased in MDMA groups compared to the sham group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the acute group showed the lowest expression of these proteins.
Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that ecstasy administration may downregulate the expression of BDNF, Trk- β, and NT-4 in hippocampus, which is more extensive in case of acute treatment. It seems that in the chronic group, hippocampus was able to compensate the ecstasy- induced neurotoxicity.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 2020
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impairs the extinction and reconsolidation of fear memory in rats. Physiology & Behavior February 1, 2019
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Growing evidence for memory effects mediating treatment efficacy. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 10, 2024
- [Neurotrophic mechanisms of psychedelic therapy]. Biologie aujourd'hui 2019
- Changing your mind: neuroplastic mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of psychedelics in depression, PTSD, and addiction Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry October 1, 2025
Cites 7
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- (±)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy") treatment modulates expression of neurotrophins and their receptors in multiple regions of adult rat brain. The Journal of Comparative Neurology August 1, 2012
and 2 more in the library