Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry
November 1, 2011
Ben Sessa
24 citations
Abstract In recent studies, 3,4‐methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) has shown promise in the treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an adjunct to post‐trauma psychological therapy. However, because of historical associations with its use as the recreational drug ecstasy, MDMA research remains a controversial subject. Dr Sessa discusses these controversies and describes a...
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
October 21, 2011
Tori L. Schaefer, Curtis E. Grace, Matthew R. Skelton et al.
5 citations
Neonatal exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces long-term learning and memory deficits and increased anxiety-like behavior. The mechanism underlying these behavioral changes is unknown but we hypothesized that it involves perturbations to the serotonergic system as this is the principle mode of action of MDMA in the adult brain. During development 5-HT is a neurotrophic...
Addiction Biology
October 13, 2011
David N. Harper
11 citations
Evidence suggests that acute exposure to (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces qualitatively similar effects on recognition task performance as other stimulant-type drugs. The current study examined whether there was a similar neurochemical basis to these memory effects by examining the effects of a D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390) and D2 antagonist (eticlopride) on MDMA- or...
Addiction Biology
October 13, 2011
Bruno Ribeiro Do Couto, Manuel Daza‐losada, Marta Rodrı́guez-arias et al.
26 citations
ABSTRACT Many adolescents often take ethanol (EtOH) in combination with 3,4‐methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA). In the present work, we used a mouse model to study the effect of repeated pre‐exposure during adolescence to EtOH (2 g/kg), MDMA (10 or 20 mg/kg) or EtOH + MDMA on the rewarding and reinstating effects of MDMA in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Pre‐exposure to...
Toxicology Letters
October 10, 2011
Sandra L Hrometz, Karen Thatcher, Jeremy A Ebert et al.
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) induces thermogenesis in a mitochondrial uncoupling protein 3-dependent manner. There is evidence that this hyperthermia is mediated in part by the lipolytic release of free fatty acids, that subsequently activate uncoupling protein 3 in skeletal muscle mitochondria. We hypothesize that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a strong lipolytic mediator, may...
Behavioural Pharmacology
October 6, 2011
Kevin T. Ball, Jessalyn E. Klein, Jacob A. Plocinski et al.
28 citations
To begin to characterize the temporal profile of behavioral sensitization to the amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), rats were treated with either saline or MDMA (5.0 mg/kg) twice daily for 5 days, followed by a challenge injection of MDMA (2.5 mg/kg) either 15 or 100 days later. Because we found previously that contextual drug associations are important for the...
Behavioural Pharmacology
October 6, 2011
Irina Majumder, Jason M. White, Rodney James Irvine
16 citations
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...
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
October 4, 2011
Natacha Vanattou‐saïfoudine, Brendan Behan, Andrew Harkin
6 citations
Markers of dopamine D(1) receptor activation were determined to elucidate intracellular mechanisms associated with the combined effects of caffeine and 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), reported previously to produce increased toxicity, when compared with either drug alone. Caffeine (10 mg/kg) and MDMA (15 mg/kg) were administered to male Sprague Dawley rats alone and in combination....
Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 3, 2011
Kim Wolff, Eva-Maria Tsapakis, Carmine Maria Pariante et al.
37 citations
In this study we investigate the association of cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6, catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT, Val158Met) and serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTTLPR) genotypes on change in cortisol concentration following 3, 4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') consumption. Forty-eight subjects (30 males, mean age 23 years), self-nominating regular clubbers provided 'in the...
Psychopharmacology
October 2011
Una D. Mccann, Robert R Edwards, Michael T Smith et al.
(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug that has potential to damage brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons in humans. Brain 5-HT neurons play a role in pain modulation, yet little is known about long-term effects of MDMA on pain function. Notably, MDMA users have been shown to have altered sleep, a phenomenon that can lead to altered pain modulation. This study...