Differences between rats and mice in MDMA (methylenedioxymethylamphetamine) neurotoxicity.
B J Logan, R Laverty, W D Sanderson, Y B Yee
European Journal of Pharmacology August 2, 1988 DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(88)90717-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Animal experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats and mice |
| Interventions | MDMA MDEA |
| Dose | 25 mg/kg i.p.; 3 x 25 mg/kg in 24 h; 3 x 50 mg/kg |
| Duration | 3 h and 24 h after injection |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | A single 25 mg/kg dose of MDMA caused transient falls in cortical 5-HT and 5-HIAA, a fall in noradrenaline in hippocampus and cerebellum, and a rise in dopamine with a fall in DOPAC in striatum, with levels essentially normal by 24 hours. Repeated dosing (3 x 25 mg/kg in 24 h) caused a large long-lasting fall in cortical 5-HT and 5-HIAA in rats but only a slight effect in mice; 3 x 50 mg/kg in mice produced a large long-lasting fall in striatal dopamine. The authors conclude the neurotoxicity of methylenedioxyamphetamines appears drug- and species-specific. |
Abstract
In both rats and mice a single large dose of methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA; 25 mg/kg i.p.) caused a fall 3 h after injection in the content of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cortex, a fall in noradrenaline in hippocampus and cerebellum, and a rise in dopamine (DA) but fall in dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in striatum. These effects were transient, levels being essentially back to normal by 24 h after injection. Repeated large doses (3 x 25 mg/kg in 24 h) of MDMA caused a large long-lasting fall in the content of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in cortex in rats but had only a slight effect in mice. Increasing the dose to 3 x 50 mg/kg in mice produced a large long-lasting fall in striatal DA. The analogue MDEA(3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine) caused a similar slight fall in 5-HT but in contrast to MDMA caused a slight rise in DA content in mice. The nature and degree of neurotoxicity with methylenedioxyamphetamines appears to be drug and species-specific.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 47
- A study of the mechanisms involved in the neurotoxic action of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) on dopamine neurones in mouse brain British Journal of Pharmacology December 1, 2001
- Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 12, 2018
- Toward a Comparative Overview of Dependence Potential and Acute Toxicity of Psychoactive Substances Used Nonmedically The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1993
- Superoxide radicals mediate the biochemical effects of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Evidence from using CuZn‐superoxide dismutase transgenic mice Synapse October 1, 1995
- The preclinical pharmacology of mephedrone; not justMDMAby another name British Journal of Pharmacology March 24, 2014
and 42 more in the library
Cites 9
- Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1987
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- The Background and Chemistry of MDMA Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- 3,4-Methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), a novel analogue of MDMA, produces long-lasting depletion of serotonin in the rat brain. European Journal of Pharmacology June 4, 1987
- Acute administration of methylenedioxymethamphetamine: comparison with the neurochemical effects of its N-desmethyl and N-ethyl analogs. European Journal of Pharmacology April 7, 1987
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