PMID- 11457569
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20010913
LR  - 20190701
IS  - 0304-3940 (Print)
IS  - 0304-3940 (Linking)
VI  - 308
IP  - 2
DP  - 2001 Aug 3
TI  - Changes in serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels in striatum and nucleus 
      accumbens after repeated administration of the abused drug MDMA in rats.
PG  - 99-102
AB  - The selective neurotoxic action of the abused drug 
      3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the serotonergic axons ascending from 
      the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is well known. The present study examined the 
      long-term effects of subchronic MDMA treatment on rat brain tissue contents of 
      catecholaminergic neurotransmitters. Two and four weeks after cessation of 
      repeated MDMA treatment (ten consecutive days, 20 mg/kg/day), the tissue 
      neurotransmitter concentrations were measured by means of electrochemical 
      detected HPLC in several forebrain areas and DRN. We found reduced serotonin 
      levels in the whole forebrain at both instants of time. In nucleus accumbens 
      (NAC), the noradrenaline levels were also decreased, whereas dopamine levels were 
      increased 4 weeks after treatment. It is concluded that MDMA causes changes of 
      monoamine transmitter levels outlasting cessation of drug intake for at least 4 
      weeks. Decreased noradrenaline and/or serotonin may subsequently cause the 
      augmentation of dopamine in NAC, a structure crucially involved in motivation 
      circuits. With exception of transmitter alterations in the NAC, the post drug 
      effects are opposite to the acute effects of MDMA and may underlie the 
      psychiatric changes after MDMA intake in humans.
FAU - Mayerhofer, A
AU  - Mayerhofer A
AD  - Zoological Institute, Neuropharmacology, University of Tuebingen, Ob dem 
      Himmelreich 7, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany. andreas.mayerhofer@uni-tuebingen.de
FAU - Kovar, K A
AU  - Kovar KA
FAU - Schmidt, W J
AU  - Schmidt WJ
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Ireland
TA  - Neurosci Lett
JT  - Neuroscience letters
JID - 7600130
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - 333DO1RDJY (Serotonin)
RN  - 54-16-0 (Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
RN  - VTD58H1Z2X (Dopamine)
RN  - X4W3ENH1CV (Norepinephrine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Axons/drug effects/metabolism/pathology
MH  - Dopamine/*metabolism
MH  - Drug Administration Schedule
MH  - Hallucinogens/*pharmacology
MH  - Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid/metabolism
MH  - Male
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*pharmacology
MH  - Neostriatum/*drug effects/metabolism
MH  - Norepinephrine/*metabolism
MH  - Nucleus Accumbens/*drug effects/metabolism
MH  - Prefrontal Cortex/drug effects/metabolism
MH  - Raphe Nuclei/drug effects/metabolism/pathology
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Sprague-Dawley
MH  - Retrograde Degeneration/chemically induced/pathology/physiopathology
MH  - Serotonin/*metabolism
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/metabolism/pathology/physiopathology
MH  - Time Factors
EDAT- 2001/07/18 10:00
MHDA- 2001/09/14 10:01
CRDT- 2001/07/18 10:00
PHST- 2001/07/18 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2001/09/14 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/07/18 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S0304-3940(01)01992-9 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01992-9 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Neurosci Lett. 2001 Aug 3;308(2):99-102. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01992-9.