Role of nitric oxide pathway in the conditioned rewarding effects of MDMA in mice.
María P García-Pardo, Marta Rodríguez‐arias, José Miñarro, María A. Aguilar
Behavioural Brain Research May 4, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical animal study (conditioned place preference paradigm) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Young adult male mice |
| Interventions | 7-nitroindazole MDMA |
| Dose | MDMA 1.25 mg/kg |
| Measures | conditioned place preference (CPP) |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Animals Mice N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine Indazoles Hallucinogens Conditioning, classical Conditioning, operant Reward Male Nitric oxide synthase Conditioning, psychological 7-nitroindazole Place preference |
| Key points | Mice conditioned with MDMA (1.25 mg/kg) showed a conditioned place preference, but mice treated with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 7-nitroindazole did not. The authors argue this demonstrates a role for the nitric oxide pathway in MDMA's rewarding effects and suggest manipulating this pathway as a possible new treatment for MDMA abuse. |
Abstract
It is estimated that 2.1 million young adults used MDMA/Ecstasy in the last year in Europe. Vulnerable subjects can develop dependence after MDMA abuse but currently there does not exist an effective treatment for this disorder. The nitric oxide (NO) pathway seems to have an important role on the rewarding effects of different drugs and has been proposed as a new pharmacological treatment for psychostimulant addiction. In the present study, we intend to evaluate whether the blockade of the NO synthesis (NOS) interferes with the rewarding effects of MDMA in the conditioned preference place (CPP) paradigm in young adult male mice. Our results indicated that mice treated with 7-nitroindazole (a NOS inhibitor) did not show CPP after conditioning with MDMA (1.25mg/kg). These results demonstrated the role of the NO pathway in the rewarding effects of MDMA and suggested that the manipulation of this pathway could be a new therapeutic option for MDMA abuse.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
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- Does MDMA have treatment potential in sexual dysfunction? A systematic review of outcomes across the female and male sexual response cycles. Sexual medicine reviews December 23, 2023
- MDMA and the Brain: A Short Review on the Role of Neurotransmitters in Neurotoxicity. Basic and clinical neuroscience 2020
- Of mice and men on MDMA: a translational comparison of the neuropsychobiological effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy'). Brain Research November 14, 2019
- Repeated Administration of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Elevates the Levels of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Nigrostriatal System: Possible Relevance to Neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity Research November 2018
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Cites 8
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and 3 more in the library