Effects of L-type calcium channel antagonists on the serotonin-depleting actions of MDMA in rats.
K T Finnegan, L Calder, J Clikeman, S Wei, R Karler
Brain Research February 12, 1993 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(93)91310-o (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experiment (preclinical pharmacology study in rats) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Interventions | Verapamil Nifedipine Flunarizine 3 Methamphetamine |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Key findings | Verapamil, nifedipine, and flunarizine all raised the threshold for NMDA-induced convulsions in rats, but only flunarizine blocked MDMA's long-term serotonin-depleting effects and antagonized methamphetamine-induced stereotypy. The authors suggest L-type calcium influx does not participate in MDMA neurotoxicity and that flunarizine's neuroprotection is probably related to its anti-dopaminergic activity. |
Abstract
The calcium channel antagonists verapamil nifedipine and flunarizine all increased the threshold for convulsions induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate in rats. By contrast, only flunarizine blocked the long-term serotonin-depleting effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Flunarizine was also the only drug that antagonized methamphetamine-induced stereotypy. These findings suggest that calcium influx through L-type channels does not participate in the neurotoxic mechanism of MDMA, and that the neuroprotective actions of flunarizine are probably related to its anti-dopaminergic activity.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Effect of flunarizine and nimodipine on the decrease in tryptophan hydroxylase activity induced by methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics May 1, 1992
- Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptor antagonists protect against the neurotoxicity of methylenedioxymethamphetamine in rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics November 1, 1990
- Role of endogenous dopamine in the central serotonergic deficits induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics October 1, 1988