PMID- 12191827
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20021119
LR  - 20190826
IS  - 0166-4328 (Print)
IS  - 0166-4328 (Linking)
VI  - 134
IP  - 1-2
DP  - 2002 Aug 21
TI  - Effects of (+/-) 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) on dopamine system 
      function in humans.
PG  - 403-10
AB  - Twelve (+/-) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) users, who did not show 
      other drug dependencies or prolonged alcohol abuse (group A), and 12 control 
      subjects (group B) were included in the study. Prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone 
      (GH) responses to the dopaminergic agonist bromocriptine (BROM) and psychometric 
      measures were evaluated 3 weeks after MDMA discontinuation. PRL decreased both in 
      A and B subjects after BROM suppression, without any significant difference 
      between the two groups. PRL responses to BROM in MDMA users were in the normal 
      range. In contrast, GH responses to BROM stimulation were found significantly 
      reduced in ecstasy users, in comparison with control subjects (P < 0.001; F = 
      6.26). MDMA users showed higher scores on the Novelty Seeking (NS) scale at the 
      Three dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), on direct aggressiveness 
      subscale at Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI), on subscale D (depression) at 
      Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI 2) and on Hamilton Depression 
      Rating Scale (HDRS) than control subjects. PRL areas under the curves (AUCs) 
      showed a significant inverse correlation with NS scores both in A and B subjects. 
      GH AUCs directly correlated with NS scores in healthy subjects, but not in MDMA 
      users. No other psychometric measure correlated with hormonal responses. GH AUCs 
      were inversely correlated with the measures of MDMA exposure (r = -0.48; P < 
      0.01). Lower GH response to BROM in A subjects (MDMA users) could reflect reduced 
      D2 receptor sensitivity in the hypothalamus, possibly due to increased 
      intrasynaptic dopamine concentration. Although the hypothesis of dopaminergic 
      changes associated with a premorbid condition cannot be completely excluded, the 
      inverse correlation between DA receptors sensitivity and the extent of ecstasy 
      exposure may suggest a direct pharmacological action of MDMA on brain dopamine 
      function in humans.
CI  - Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.
FAU - Gerra, Gilberto
AU  - Gerra G
AD  - Centro Studi Farmacotossicodipendenze, SerT, AUSL di Parma, Via Spalato 2, 43100 
      Parma, Italy. behpharm@tin.it
FAU - Zaimovic, Amir
AU  - Zaimovic A
FAU - Moi, Gabriele
AU  - Moi G
FAU - Giusti, Francesca
AU  - Giusti F
FAU - Gardini, Simona
AU  - Gardini S
FAU - Delsignore, Roberto
AU  - Delsignore R
FAU - Laviola, Gianni
AU  - Laviola G
FAU - Macchia, Teodora
AU  - Macchia T
FAU - Brambilla, Francesca
AU  - Brambilla F
LA  - eng
PT  - Clinical Trial
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Behav Brain Res
JT  - Behavioural brain research
JID - 8004872
RN  - 0 (Dopamine Agonists)
RN  - 0 (Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists)
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Dopamine D2)
RN  - 12629-01-5 (Human Growth Hormone)
RN  - 3A64E3G5ZO (Bromocriptine)
RN  - 9002-62-4 (Prolactin)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
RN  - VTD58H1Z2X (Dopamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aggression/drug effects
MH  - Bromocriptine/pharmacology
MH  - Depressive Disorder/chemically induced/psychology
MH  - Dopamine/*physiology
MH  - Dopamine Agonists/pharmacology
MH  - Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists
MH  - Hallucinogens/*pharmacology
MH  - Human Growth Hormone/blood
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*pharmacology
MH  - Personality/drug effects
MH  - Personality Tests
MH  - Prolactin/blood
MH  - Receptors, Dopamine D2/agonists/*drug effects
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/*psychology
MH  - Temperament/drug effects
EDAT- 2002/08/23 10:00
MHDA- 2002/11/26 04:00
CRDT- 2002/08/23 10:00
PHST- 2002/08/23 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/11/26 04:00 [medline]
PHST- 2002/08/23 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S0166432802000529 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s0166-4328(02)00052-9 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Behav Brain Res. 2002 Aug 21;134(1-2):403-10. doi: 10.1016/s0166-4328(02)00052-9.