Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy') is a known neurotoxin to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) nerve terminals. Recent studies have suggested that endogenous dopamine (DA) and/or 5-HT may mediate the MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. The central monoamine stores of rats were significantly decreased with reserpine (5 mg/kg) prior to toxic injections of MDMA. Rats given MDMA (30 mg/kg) displayed significant decreases in the density of 5-HT nerve terminals labeled by [3H]paroxetine both with (51 +/- 8%) and without (43 +/- 20%) reserpine pre-treatment. These data suggest that the degeneration of 5-HT nerve terminals following MDMA is independent of the presence of endogenous stores of DA or 5-HT.
MeSH terms
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3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / analogs & derivatives
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3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / toxicity*
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Amphetamines / toxicity*
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Animals
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Cerebral Cortex / drug effects
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Cerebral Cortex / metabolism
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Corpus Striatum / drug effects
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Corpus Striatum / metabolism
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Designer Drugs / toxicity*
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Dopamine / metabolism
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Male
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N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
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Nerve Endings / metabolism
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Nervous System Diseases / chemically induced*
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Nervous System Diseases / metabolism
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Nervous System Diseases / prevention & control
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Paroxetine
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Piperidines / metabolism
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred Strains
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Reserpine / pharmacology
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Reserpine / therapeutic use*
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Serotonin / metabolism
Substances
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Amphetamines
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Designer Drugs
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Piperidines
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Serotonin
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Paroxetine
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3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine
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Reserpine
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N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
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Dopamine