PMID- 17019566
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20070302
LR  - 20181113
IS  - 0033-3158 (Print)
IS  - 0033-3158 (Linking)
VI  - 189
IP  - 4
DP  - 2007 Jan
TI  - Sex differences in the neurochemical and functional effects of MDMA in 
      Sprague-Dawley rats.
PG  - 435-45
AB  - RATIONALE: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "Ecstasy") use has been 
      associated with acute toxicities and persistent depletion of the neurotransmitter 
      serotonin (5-HT). OBJECTIVES: This study investigates whether sex differences in 
      the acute and long-term effects of MDMA exist. METHODS: Male and female rats 
      received saline or 15 mg/kg MDMA, ip, bid for 4 days. Temperature was monitored 
      on days 1 and 4. Locomotor activity was measured in a second cohort of animals on 
      days 1 and 4 and after recovery on day 14. The effects of MDMA on performance in 
      a plus maze task and brain levels of serotonin (5-HT) and the serotonin 
      metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in a third cohort 
      of animals 2 weeks after the last MDMA treatment. RESULTS: Locomotor activity and 
      temperature increased after MDMA administration on day 1. The drug-induced 
      increases in temperature but not locomotion attenuated with repeated MDMA 
      administration. Male and female MDMA-treated rats spent less time in the open 
      arms of the elevated plus maze and had less 5-HT and 5-HIAA in all brain regions 
      2 weeks after the end of treatment. Temperature effects of MDMA and persistent 
      effects on plus maze and brain serotonin content were similar in males and 
      females. In contrast, females exhibited markedly greater locomotor stimulation 
      after acute MDMA and also showed sensitization to an acute challenge 2 weeks 
      later. CONCLUSIONS: MDMA elicits substantially greater locomotor activation in 
      female rats than in males, but persistent effects on anxiety and serotonin 
      content were similar in males and females.
FAU - Walker, Q David
AU  - Walker QD
AD  - Department of Pharmacology and Integrated Program in Toxicology, Duke University 
      Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
FAU - Williams, Christina N
AU  - Williams CN
FAU - Jotwani, Rakesh P
AU  - Jotwani RP
FAU - Waller, Samuel T
AU  - Waller ST
FAU - Francis, Reynold
AU  - Francis R
FAU - Kuhn, Cynthia M
AU  - Kuhn CM
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20060923
PL  - Germany
TA  - Psychopharmacology (Berl)
JT  - Psychopharmacology
JID - 7608025
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - 333DO1RDJY (Serotonin)
RN  - 54-16-0 (Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Anxiety/chemically induced
MH  - Behavior, Animal/*drug effects
MH  - Body Temperature/drug effects
MH  - Brain/*drug effects/metabolism
MH  - Female
MH  - Hallucinogens/adverse effects/*pharmacology
MH  - Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid/metabolism
MH  - Male
MH  - Maze Learning/drug effects
MH  - Motor Activity/drug effects
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/adverse effects/*pharmacology
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Sprague-Dawley
MH  - Serotonin/metabolism
MH  - *Sex Characteristics
MH  - Sex Factors
MH  - Time Factors
EDAT- 2006/10/05 09:00
MHDA- 2007/03/03 09:00
CRDT- 2006/10/05 09:00
PHST- 2006/01/13 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/07/26 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/10/05 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/03/03 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/10/05 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s00213-006-0531-z [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Jan;189(4):435-45. doi: 
      10.1007/s00213-006-0531-z. Epub 2006 Sep 23.