Antidepressant-like effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in an animal model of depression
Irina Majumder, Jason M. White, Rodney James Irvine
Behavioural Pharmacology October 6, 2011 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e32834d0f05 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experiment (controlled study) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, an animal model of depression, with Sprague-Dawley rats as controls |
| Interventions | MDMA Methamphetamine |
| Dose | MDMA 5 and 10 mg/kg; methamphetamine 2 mg/kg |
| Measures | forced swimming test (FST) |
| Topics | Depression MDMA |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Acute MDMA produced a dose-dependent antidepressant-like effect in FSL rats, most evident at 10 mg/kg, and this effect was diminished after repeated administration. Methamphetamine 2 mg/kg did not affect the depressive-like state, and cortical serotonin and 5-HIAA levels were unchanged after treatments. |
Abstract
Increased synaptic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) levels may underlie antidepressant-like effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) that may be more prominent in subjects with mood disturbance. The Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) strain is an important animal model of depression. These rats are more immobile in the forced swimming test (FST), and their immobility is reversed by known antidepressants after prolonged administration. The objective of this study was to determine whether MDMA administration has a dose-dependent antidepressant-like effect in this animal model of depression. The effects of MDMA at 5 and 10 mg/kg following single and repeated administration were assessed in FSL rats using the FST. Sprague-Dawley rats were used as a control. During both FST sessions, saline-treated FSL rats were significantly more immobile than Sprague-Dawley rats (P<0.001). Acute MDMA administration had a dose-dependent antidepressant-like effect in FSL rats, which was most evident after 10 mg/kg. This effect was diminished after repeated administration. Methamphetamine 2 mg/kg, which was used as a positive control for locomotor activity induction, did not affect the depressive-like state in FSL rats. There were no changes in the cortical levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid after treatments. It is concluded that MDMA exhibited an antidepressant-like effect in FSL rats, which was most evident following acute administration.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methylone is a rapid-acting neuroplastogen with less off-target activity than MDMA Rats | 2024 | Preclinical study | |
| R-MDDMA is a Safer Analogue of MDMA with Therapeutic Potential. Rats (implied) | 2026 | Preclinical study | |
| MDMA and memory, addiction, and depression: dose-effect analysis Mice | 2022 | Dose-ranging experimental animal study | |
| Acute behavioral effects of co-administration of mephedrone and MDMA in mice. Swiss mice | 2017 | Animal experimental study | |
| Increased effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) in a rat model of depression. Rats in a model of depression | 2011 | Preclinical study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Psilocybin and MDMA for the treatment of trauma-related psychopathology International Review of Psychiatry April 3, 2021
- The emerging role of psilocybin and MDMA in the treatment of mental illness Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics September 21, 2020
- Lifetime use of MDMA/ecstasy and psilocybin is associated with reduced odds of major depressive episodes Journal of Psychopharmacology 2022
- Methylone, a rapid acting entactogen with robust anxiolytic and antidepressant-like activity Frontiers in Psychiatry January 10, 2023
- A Multimodal Preclinical Assessment of MDMA in Female and Male Rats: Prohedonic, Cognition Disruptive, and Prosocial Effects. Psychedelic Medicine June 1, 2024
and 6 more in the library