Drug and Alcohol Dependence
August 1, 2008
Susan Schenk, Lincoln S. Hely, David Gittings et al.
Exposure to self-administered drugs is sufficient to produce drug-seeking in animal models. In many cases priming injections of drugs that share discriminative stimulus properties with the self-administered drug also can lead to drug-seeking, suggesting that exposure might precipitate relapse. The present investigation examined the ability of MDMA or cocaine priming injections to reinstate...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
August 1, 2008
Physiological and subjective responses to controlled oral 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration.
European Journal of Pharmacology
July 28, 2008
Jorge Camarasa, José M Marimón, Teresa Rodrigo et al.
Amphetamine abuse is an important risk factor for the development of cognitive impairment involving learning and memory. Since in previous studies we have demonstrated the effectiveness of alpha-7 nicotinic receptor antagonists in preventing the neurotoxicity induced by amphetamine derivatives, the present paper seeks to determine whether pre-treatment with memantine (MEM) (an antagonist of...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 17, 2008
Felix Hasler, Erich Studerus, Karl‐johan Lindner et al.
53 citations
Serotonin (5-HT) release is the primary pharmacological mechanism of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) action in the primate brain. Dopamine release and direct stimulation of dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT 2A receptors also contributes to the overall action of MDMA. The role of 5-HT 1A receptors in the human psychopharmacology of MDMA, however, has not yet been elucidated. In...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
July 9, 2008
Thibault Renoir, Eleni Païzanis, Malika El Yacoubi et al.
58 citations
Although numerous studies investigated the mechanisms underlying 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced neurotoxicity, little is known about its long-term functional consequences on 5-HT neurotransmission in mice. This led us to evaluate the delayed effects of MDMA exposure on the 5-HT system, using in-vitro and in-vivo approaches in both 5-HTT wild-type and knock-out mice. Acute MDMA...
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
July 1, 2008
Karen L. Hanson, Mónica Luciana, Kristin Sullwold
The recreational drug, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy'), is a synthetic amphetamine derivative and a serotonin neurotoxin. MDMA use is associated with cognitive dysfunction and impulsivity, but since polydrug abuse is common among users it is difficult to attribute these problems specifically to MDMA. Moreover, few studies have examined reward-related cognitive processes. Our...
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
July 1, 2008
Julien Fonsart, Marie-Claude Menet, Xavier Declèves et al.
The use of the amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) has been associated with unexplained deaths. Male humans and rodents are more sensitive to acute toxicity than are females, including a potentially lethal hyperthermia. MDMA is highly metabolized to five main metabolites, by the enzymes CYP1A2 and CYP2D. The major metabolite in rats,...
Social Neuroscience
June 21, 2008
Murray R. Thompson, Glenn E. Hunt, Iain S. Mcgregor
48 citations
The popular drug 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy", "the Love Drug") produces feelings of love and closeness in humans and induces analogous prosocial and antiaggressive effects in laboratory animals. Here we examined the specific brain regions that may be involved in these prosocial effects. Male Wistar rats were pretreated with a moderate dose of MDMA (5 mg/kg) or vehicle and...
Biological Psychiatry
June 1, 2008
Clara Touriño, Catherine Ledent, Rafaël Maldonado et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug widely abused by young people. The endocannabinoid system is involved in the addictive processes induced by different drugs of abuse. However, the role of this system in the pharmacological effects of MDMA has not yet been clarified. Locomotion, body temperature, and anxiogenic-like responses were evaluated after acute MDMA...
Current therapeutic research, clinical and experimental
June 2008
Ozlem Guneysel, Ozge Ecmel Onur, Haldun Akoglu et al.
The drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), otherwise known as "ecstasy," is a synthetic amphetamine that produces euphoria, increases sociability and energy, and is often used as a "weekend" recreational drug by young adults. A 23-year-old male (height, 184 cm; weight, 68 kg) presented to the emergency department of Marmara University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, with jaundice and nausea...