Forensic science, medicine, and pathology
September 2011
C M Milroy
Amphetamine derivative drugs, particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, are popular recreational drugs. MDMA is associated with causing death by a number of mechanisms, including hyperpyrexia, cardiac arrhythmia water intoxication and liver failure. Seventy-seven deaths where MDMA was detected in body fluids/organs were reviewed. Of these cases 59 deaths...
Pharmacological Research
August 12, 2011
Acute administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) induces oxidative stress, lipoperoxidation and TNFα-mediated apoptosis in rat liver.
Journal of Neuroinflammation
August 6, 2011
O'Shea Esther, Rubio Ana, Mayado Andrea et al.
28 citations
Abstract Background 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces a neuroinflammatory reaction in rat brain characterized by an increase in interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and microglial activation. The CB2 receptor agonist JWH-015 reduces both these changes and partially protects against MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. We have examined MDMA-induced changes in IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra)...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
August 2011
Susan Schenk, David N. Harper, Jennifer Do
The present study was undertaken to examine effects of self-administered MDMA on novel object exploration (NOR) memory. Self-administration was conducted during daily 2 h tests that continued until a total of 165 mg/kg was self-administered (range = 13-41 days for individual rats). Control rats were placed in the self-administration boxes during daily sessions but did not receive any drug. One...
Psychopharmacology
August 2011
Daniel L Albaugh, Jennifer A Rinker, Michael H. Baumann et al.
The abuse potential of a given drug may be mediated by both its rewarding and aversive effects, the latter of which are often far less characterized. Using the conditioned taste-aversion (CTA) preparation, the present experiments examined changes in the aversive effects of the commonly used recreational drug MDMA following repeated drug exposures. Experiment 1 used three varying doses of MDMA...
Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2011
Adrian P. Burgess, Louise Venables, Helena Jones et al.
26 citations
Objectives Ecstasy is a recreational drug whose active ingredient, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), acts predominantly on the serotonergic system. Although MDMA is known to be neurotoxic in animals, the long-term effects of recreational Ecstasy use in humans remain controversial but one commonly reported consequence is mild cognitive impairment particularly affecting verbal episodic...
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
July 31, 2011
MDMA (Ecstasy) association with impaired fMRI BOLD thalamic coherence and functional connectivity.
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
July 20, 2011
Thomas F. Newton
9 citations
In this issue, Hysek and colleagues present new data describing the impact of treatment with reboxetine on the effects produced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in human volunteers. They demonstrate that several effects of MDMA are mediated by reboxetine's actions on norepinephrine (NE) transporters, an unexpected finding. Building on earlier work, their new data provide...
Neuroscience Letters
July 15, 2011
Makiko Kasai, Katsutoshi Shioda, Koichi Nisijima et al.
The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") as a recreational drug has spread worldwide. Fatal hyperthermia is a likely side effect of using MDMA in combination with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. However, most antidepressants do not pose a high risk of developing hyperthermia when used in conjunction with MDMA. Mirtazapine is a novel antidepressant and a potent 5-HT(2A)...
Neurochemistry International
July 5, 2011
Low ambient temperature reveals distinct mechanisms for MDMA-induced serotonergic toxicity and astroglial Hsp27 heat shock response in rat brain.