Comparative effects of amphetamine-like psychostimulants on rat hippocampal cell genesis at different developmental ages.
Rubén García‐cabrerizo, M Julia García-Fuster
Neurotoxicology September 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.06.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats (early adolescent and young adult) |
| Interventions | MDMA Methamphetamine D-Amphetamine |
| Dose | 12 pulses of 5 mg/kg over 4 days (60 mg/kg total) |
| Duration | 4 days of dosing |
| Topics | MDMA Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Adolescence D-amphetamine Hippocampus Methamphetamine |
| Key findings | MDMA and methamphetamine, but not D-amphetamine, impaired hippocampal cell proliferation and survival in young adult rats, while early adolescent rats were less sensitive; these effects appeared only at the highest cumulative dose (12 doses of 5 mg/kg over 4 days, 60 mg/kg total). The authors suggest this age-dependent hippocampal damage may contribute to addiction-like behaviors and that BDNF and serotonin may regulate cell survival. |
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of amphetamine-like psychostimulant drugs (i.e., MDMA, methamphetamine, D-amphetamine) on rat hippocampal cell genesis at different developmental ages (i.e., early adolescence vs. young adulthood) to determine if there were periods of vulnerability to drug-induced brain changes. Although adolescence is a period of great vulnerability to the neurochemical effects of specific drugs of abuse, several reports suggest that adult rats are more susceptible than adolescents to the negative effects of these drugs. The main results suggest that the effects of these amphetamine drugs on cell genesis depend on the rat's developmental age, with the young adult period being more sensitive than the early adolescent one. In particular, MDMA and methamphetamine, but not D-amphetamine impaired hippocampal cell genesis (i.e., cell proliferation and cell survival) in young adult rats. These effects were dependent on the accumulative dose administered, as they were only observed with the highest dose tested (12 pulses of 5mg/kg over 4days: 60mg/kg total). The present results extend previous reports on adolescent insensitivity (i.e., better adaptation) to amphetamine-drugs and suggest for young adult rats certain degree of hippocampal damage that may mediate some of the addiction-like behaviors that depend on this brain region. Moreover, the present results, in line with previous data, suggest a possible role for the neuroplasticity marker BDNF and serotonin in regulating cell survival, as mBDNF protein regulation paralleled hippocampal cell survival and 5-HT2C-receptor content in young adult rats treated with these psychostimulant drugs.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors In vitro and in vivo (rodent) models | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics promote plasticity by directly binding to BDNF receptor TrkB Mice | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning Mice | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro Progenitor cells from subventricular and subgranular zones of adult mice brains | 2017 | In vitro experimental study | |
| N,N-dimethyltryptamine compound found in the hallucinogenic tea ayahuasca, regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo Mice | 2020 | In vitro and in vivo experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and broader neuroplasticity: a systematic review. Mol Med December 19, 2024
- Longitudinal Examination of Learning and Memory in Rats Following Adolescent Exposure to 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or 5-Methoxy-N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science 2017
- Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and brain plasticity: A systematic review bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 20, 2023
- Chronic administration of amphetamines disturbs development of neural progenitor cells in young adult nonhuman primates. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry July 13, 2018
- NMDA receptor adjusted co-administration of ecstasy and cannabinoid receptor-1 agonist in the amygdala via stimulation of BDNF/Trk-B/CREB pathway in adult male rats. Brain Research Bulletin April 2017
Cites 6
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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
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- Comparison of (+)-methamphetamine, ±}-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), (+)-amphetamine and ±}-fenfluramine in rats on egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze Synapse October 8, 2010
and 1 more in the library