Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a mood-altering, legally restricted drug that has been reported to inhibit glutamate-evoked firing of cells in the nucleus accumbens. This study used extracellular recording combined with microiontophoresis to examine whether the inhibitory effect of MDMA on neuronal firing in the nucleus accumbens is mediated by serotonin and/or dopamine. Serotonin and...
Ingestion of 3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as "Ecstasy", can produce toxicity that is characterised by hyperthermia, coagulopathy, rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. We report a fatality associated with MDMA ingestion and briefly review the current literature on MDMA-induced hyperthermia.
Two cases are reported of pneumomediastinum induced by the use of Ecstasy, a semi-synthetic hallucinogenic compound related to amphetamine and mescaline which has become established as a recreational drug in the UK since the late 1980s. Both cases recovered without incident, but it is important that the possible complications of this drug be publicised so that at risk subjects can be diagnosed...
EDITOR,—We were interested in A Richard Green and Guy M Goodwin's editorial on ecstasy and neurodegeneration.1 We wish to draw attention to another recreational drug, which is taken in similar circumstances to ecstasy, whose use can lead to acute neurological effects. (gamma)-Hydroxybutyrate—also known as GHB, sodium oxybate, GBH, and liquid ecstasy—has been available in Britain since 1994,...
(+/-)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) releases dopamine and serotonin in vivo and stimulates locomotor activity. Previous work demonstrated that MDMA-stimulated dopamine release could be reduced by the selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist [R-(+)-a- (2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidinem ethanol] (MDL 100,907). In the present study MDL 100,907 significantly...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') is an increasingly popular recreational drug in the US, Western Europe and Australia. In animals, including nonhuman primates, MDMA is known to damage brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) neurons. It is not known whether MDMA damages serotonin neurons in the human brain but there is some indication that it may. Although the large...
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) is a popular recreationally used drug among young people in Europe and North America. The recent surge in use of MDMA and increasing concerns about possible toxic effects of the drug have inspired a great deal of research into the mechanisms by which the drug may affect the central nervous system. This paper reviews studies on the neurochemical,...
The substituted amphetamine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has been shown to be neurotoxic to serotonin (5HT) terminals in the rat, and rat body temperature (TEMP) has been shown to affect this neurotoxicity. This study looked at the effect on CORE TEMP of three drugs that protect against MDMA neurotoxicity in the rat. Male Holtzmann rats were injected with a control saline (SAL)...
EDITOR,—3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or “ecstasy”) is a synthetic derivative of amphetamine and a popular recreational drug among young people. It is known to cause severe hyperpyrexia, dehydration, and rhabdomyolysis.1 Unrestricted ingestion of water is commonly believed to be important in combating some of the side effects of ingestion of the drug. We report on two patients who...
SynapseMay 1, 1996Andrew N. Gifford, Yoshio Minabe, Alon Toor et al.7 citations
Extracellular single cell recording was used to examine the effect of intravenous administration of (-), (+), and (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on A10 dopamine (DA) neurons in chloral hydrate anesthetized male rats. Both (+/-)-MDMA and (+)-MDMA inhibited the firing rate of most (79%) A10 DA cells. By contrast, (-)-MDMA induced either no effect or a slight increase in the firing...