Movement Disorders
September 20, 2013
Giulia Costa, Lucia Frau, Jadwiga Wardas et al.
52 citations
ABSTRACT Clinical observations report a greater propensity to develop Parkinson's disease (PD) in amphetamine users. 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; “ecstasy”) is an amphetamine‐related drug that is largely consumed by adolescents and young adults, which may have neuroinflammatory and neurotoxic effects. Here, the objective was to evaluate in mice whether consumption of MDMA during...
Toxicology
September 6, 2013
Alvaro Llorente‐berzal, Carmen Manzanedo, Manuel Daza‐losada et al.
The early neonatal stage constitutes a sensitive period during which exposure to adverse events can increase the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal deprivation (MD) is a model of early life stress that induces long-term behavioural and physiological alterations, including susceptibility to different drugs of abuse. In the present study we have used the conditioned place preference...
British Journal of Pharmacology
September 6, 2013
Cédric M. Hysek, Yasmin Schmid, Anna Rickli et al.
7 citations
We greatly appreciate the comments offered by Drs Rolle, Takematsu and Hoffman and the opportunity to put our work into a wider perspective. We share the view that our work does not reflect the clinical situation but rather provides a proof of mechanism study, which aims to help to translate preclinical findings (Sprague et al., 2005) into the clinic. As we noted in the discussion of our work...
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
September 4, 2013
V. Ferraz-De-Paula, D. Stankevicius, A. Ribeiro et al.
10 citations
Anxiolytic and anxiogenic-like behavioral outcomes have been reported for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) in rodents. In the present experiment, we attempted to identify behavioral, hormonal and neurochemical outcomes of MDMA treatment to clarify its effects on anxiety-related responses in 2-month-old Balb/c male mice (25-35 g; N = 7-10 mice/group). The behavioral tests used...
Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation
September 2013
Geetruida D Van Dijken, Renske E. Blom, Ronald J Hené et al.
Globally, millions of subjects regularly use ecstasy, a drug popular due to its empathogenic and entactogenic effects. Dilutional hyponatraemia, mainly caused by direct stimulation of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion by ecstasy, is among the many side effects of the drug (active substance 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA). Severe, symptomatic hyponatraemia related to the use of MDMA...
Current Neuropharmacology
August 1, 2013
Patricio Sáez-briones, Alejandro Hernández
41 citations
Besides stimulants and hallucinogens, whose psychotropic effects are shared by many structurally related molecules exhibiting different efficacies and potencies in humans, the phenylisopropylamine MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, XTC, "Ecstasy") is the prototypical representative of a separate class of psychotropic substance, able to elicit the so-called entactogenic syndrome in healthy...
Life Science
July 24, 2013
M. Angoa-Perez, Michael J. Kane, Nieves Herrera-Mundo et al.
41 citations
Aims Mephedrone is a stimulant drug of abuse with close structural and mechanistic similarities to methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Although mephedrone does not damage dopamine nerve endings it increases the neurotoxicity of amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA. The effects of mephedrone on serotonin (5HT) nerve endings are not fully understood, with some...
Life Science
July 24, 2013
Laura E. Halpin, Stuart A. Collins, Bryan K. Yamamoto
195 citations
Amphetamines are a class of psychostimulant drugs that are widely abused for their stimulant, euphoric, empathogenic and hallucinogenic properties. Many of these effects result from acute increases in dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission. Subsequent to these acute effects, methamphetamine and 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produce persistent damage to dopamine and serotonin nerve...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
July 13, 2013
Cédric M. Hysek, Anja E. Fink, Linda D. Simmler et al.
57 citations
Preclinical studies implicate a role for α₁-noradrenergic receptors in the effects of psychostimulants, including 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"). The present study evaluated the effects of the α₁-noradrenergic receptor antagonist doxazosin on the acute pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic response to MDMA in 16 healthy subjects. Doxazosin (8 mg/d) or placebo was administered...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
July 1, 2013
A. C. Parrott
184 citations
AIMS: This paper aimed to review how scientific knowledge about the human psychobiology of MDMA has developed over time. METHODS: In this paper, the empirical findings from earlier and later studies will be reviewed. RESULTS: When MDMA was a 'novel psychoactive substance', it was not seen as a drug of abuse, as it displayed loss of efficacy. However, recreational users display a unique pattern...