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Tsai CJ, Chiu CH, Kuo YY, Huang WS, Yu TH, Flores LG, Yeh SHH, Ma KH. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Model: In Vivo 4-[18F]-ADAM PET Imaging. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137035. [PMID: 35806049 PMCID: PMC9266335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have confirmed that 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces long-lasting changes to the density of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT). Amitriptyline (AMI) has been shown to exert neuroprotective properties in neuropathologic injury. Here, we used a SERT-specific radionuclide, 4-[18F]-ADAM, to assess the longitudinal alterations in SERT binding and evaluate the synergistic neuroprotective effect of AMI in a rat MDMA model. In response to MDMA treatment regimens, SERT binding was significantly reduced in rat brains. Region-specific recovery rate (normalized to baseline) in the MDMA group at day 14 was 71.29% ± 3.21%, and progressively increased to 90.90% ± 7.63% at day 35. AMI dramatically increased SERT binding in all brain regions, enhancing average ~18% recovery rate at day 14 when compared with the MDMA group. The immunochemical staining revealed that AMI markedly increased the serotonergic fiber density in the cingulate and thalamus after MDMA-induction, and confirmed the PET findings. Using in vivo longitudinal PET imaging, we demonstrated that SERT recovery was positively correlated with the duration of MDMA abstinence, implying that lower SERT densities in MDMA-induced rats reflected neurotoxic effects and were (varied) region-specific and reversible. AMI globally accelerated the recovery rate of SERT binding and increased SERT fiber density with possible neuroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Jung Tsai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan; (C.-J.T.); (W.-S.H.)
| | - Chuang-Hsin Chiu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei 114, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Yeh Kuo
- Department of Nursing, Hsin-Sheng College of Medical Care and Management, Taoyuan 325, Taiwan;
| | - Wen-Sheng Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan; (C.-J.T.); (W.-S.H.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Hsun Yu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (T.-H.Y.); (S.H.-H.Y.)
| | | | - Skye Hsin-Hsien Yeh
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan; (T.-H.Y.); (S.H.-H.Y.)
- School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Hsing Ma
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medi Center, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-8792-3100 (ext. 18728 or 18081)
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Petschner P, Tamasi V, Adori C, Kirilly E, Ando RD, Tothfalusi L, Bagdy G. Gene expression analysis indicates reduced memory and cognitive functions in the hippocampus and increase in synaptic reorganization in the frontal cortex 3 weeks after MDMA administration in Dark Agouti rats. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:580. [PMID: 30071829 PMCID: PMC6090855 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4929-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a widely used entactogenic drug known to impair cognitive functions on the long-run. Both hippocampal and frontal cortical regions have well established roles in behavior, memory formation and other cognitive tasks and damage of these regions is associated with altered behavior and cognitive functions frequently described in otherwise healthy MDMA users. Meanwhile, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients seem to benefit from therapeutic application of the drug, where damage in hippocampal cue extinction may play a role. The aim of this study was to examine the hippocampus, frontal cortex and dorsal raphe of Dark Agouti rats with gene expression arrays (Illumina RatRef bead arrays) looking for possible mechanisms and new candidates contributing to the consequences of a single dose of MDMA (15 mg/kg) 3 weeks earlier. RESULTS The number of differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and the dorsal raphe were 481, 155, and 15, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis of the microarray data revealed reduced expression of 'memory' and 'cognition', 'dendrite development' and 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' gene sets in the hippocampus, parallel to the downregulation of CaMK II subunits, glutamate-, CB1 cannabinoid- and EphA4, EphA5, EphA6 receptors. Downregulated gene sets in the frontal cortex were related to protein synthesis, chromatin organization, transmembrane transport processes, while 'dendrite development', 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' and 'positive regulation of synapse assembly' gene sets were upregulated besides elevated levels of a CaMK II subunit and NMDA2B glutamate receptor. Changes in the dorsal raphe region were mild and in most cases not significant. CONCLUSION The present data raise the possibility of new synapse formation / synaptic reorganization in the frontal cortex 3 weeks after a single neurotoxic dose of MDMA. In contrast, a prolonged depression of new neurite formation in the hippocampus is proposed by downregulations of members in long-term potentiation pathway and synaptic plasticity emphasizing the particular vulnerability of this brain region and proposing a mechanism responsible for cognitive problems in healthy individuals. At the same time, these results underpin benefits of MDMA in PTSD, where the drug may help memory extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Petschner
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Viola Tamasi
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.,4 Retzius Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eszter Kirilly
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Romeo D Ando
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Tothfalusi
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Bagdy
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary. .,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary. .,NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.
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Yang SR, Hu ZZ, Luo YJ, Zhao YN, Sun HX, Yin D, Wang CY, Yan YD, Wang DR, Yuan XS, Ye CB, Guo W, Qu WM, Cherasse Y, Lazarus M, Ding YQ, Huang ZL. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus is essential for non-rapid eye movement sleep. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2002909. [PMID: 29652889 PMCID: PMC5919677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2002909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), also called the GABAergic tail of the ventral tegmental area, projects to the midbrain dopaminergic system, dorsal raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, and other regions. Whether the RMTg is involved in sleep-wake regulation is unknown. In the present study, pharmacogenetic activation of rat RMTg neurons promoted non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep with increased slow-wave activity (SWA). Conversely, rats after neurotoxic lesions of 8 or 16 days showed decreased NREM sleep with reduced SWA at lights on. The reduced SWA persisted at least 25 days after lesions. Similarly, pharmacological and pharmacogenetic inactivation of rat RMTg neurons decreased NREM sleep. Electrophysiological experiments combined with optogenetics showed a direct inhibitory connection between the terminals of RMTg neurons and midbrain dopaminergic neurons. The bidirectional effects of the RMTg on the sleep-wake cycle were mimicked by the modulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA)/substantia nigra compacta (SNc) dopaminergic neuronal activity using a pharmacogenetic approach. Furthermore, during the 2-hour recovery period following 6-hour sleep deprivation, the amount of NREM sleep in both the lesion and control rats was significantly increased compared with baseline levels; however, only the control rats showed a significant increase in SWA compared with baseline levels. Collectively, our findings reveal an essential role of the RMTg in the promotion of NREM sleep and homeostatic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Rong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Jia Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya-Nan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huan-Xin Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dou Yin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen-Yao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Dong Yan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dian-Ru Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang-Shan Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen-Bo Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Min Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yoan Cherasse
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Michael Lazarus
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Li Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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López-Arnau R, Martínez-Clemente J, Pubill D, Escubedo E, Camarasa J. Serotonergic impairment and memory deficits in adolescent rats after binge exposure of methylone. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:1053-63. [PMID: 25237120 DOI: 10.1177/0269881114548439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Methylone is a cathinone derivative that has recently emerged as a designer drug of abuse in Europe and the USA. Studies on the acute and long-term neurotoxicity of cathinones are starting to be conducted. We investigated the neurochemical/enzymatic changes indicative of neurotoxicity after methylone administration (4 × 20 mg/kg, subcutaneously, per day with 3 h intervals) to adolescent rats, to model human recreational use. In addition, we studied the effect of methylone on spatial learning ad memory using the Morris water maze paradigm. Our experiments were carried out at a high ambient temperature to simulate the hot conditions found in dance clubs where the drug is consumed. We observed a hyperthermic response to methylone that reached a peak 30 min after each dose. We determined a serotonergic impairment in methylone-treated rats, especially in the frontal cortex, where it was accompanied by astrogliosis. Some serotonergic alterations were also present in the hippocampus and striatum. No significant neurotoxic effect on the dopaminergic system was identified. Methylone-treated animals only displayed impairments in the probe trial of the Morris water maze, which concerns reference memory, while the spatial learning process seemed to be preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl López-Arnau
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Martínez-Clemente
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Pubill
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Escubedo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Camarasa
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Petschner P, Tamasi V, Adori C, Kirilly E, Ando RD, Tothfalusi L, Bagdy G. Gene expression analysis indicates CB1 receptor upregulation in the hippocampus and neurotoxic effects in the frontal cortex 3 weeks after single-dose MDMA administration in Dark Agouti rats. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:930. [PMID: 24378229 PMCID: PMC3902429 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a widely used recreational drug known to impair cognitive functions on the long-run. Both hippocampal and frontal cortical regions have well established roles in behavior, memory formation and other cognitive tasks and damage of these regions is associated with altered behavior and cognitive functions, impairments frequently described in heavy MDMA users. The aim of this study was to examine the hippocampus, frontal cortex and dorsal raphe of Dark Agouti rats with gene expression arrays (Illumina RatRef bead arrays) looking for possible mechanisms and new candidates contributing to the effects of a single dose of MDMA (15 mg/kg) 3 weeks earlier. RESULTS The number of differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and the dorsal raphe were 481, 155, and 15, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis of the microarray data revealed reduced expression of 'memory' and 'cognition', 'dendrite development' and 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' gene sets in the hippocampus, parallel to the upregulation of the CB1 cannabinoid- and Epha4, Epha5, Epha6 ephrin receptors. Downregulated gene sets in the frontal cortex were related to protein synthesis, chromatin organization, transmembrane transport processes, while 'dendrite development', 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' and 'positive regulation of synapse assembly' gene sets were upregulated. Changes in the dorsal raphe region were mild and in most cases not significant. CONCLUSION The present data raise the possibility of new synapse formation/synaptic reorganization in the frontal cortex three weeks after a single neurotoxic dose of MDMA. In contrast, a prolonged depression of new neurite formation in the hippocampus is suggested by the data, which underlines the particular vulnerability of this brain region after the drug treatment. Finally, our results also suggest the substantial contribution of CB1 receptor and endocannabinoid mediated pathways in the hippocampal impairments. Taken together the present study provides evidence for the participation of new molecular candidates in the long-term effects of MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Petschner
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology and Neurochemistry Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viola Tamasi
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Kirilly
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Romeo D Ando
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Tothfalusi
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Bagdy
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology and Neurochemistry Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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Cuyas E, Robledo P, Pizarro N, Farré M, Puerta E, Aguirre N, de la Torre R. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine induces gene expression changes in rats related to serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, but not to neurotoxicity. Neurotox Res 2013; 25:161-9. [PMID: 23949956 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-013-9416-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is an amphetamine derivative widely abused by young adults. Although many studies have reported that relatively high doses of MDMA deplete serotonin (5-HT) content and decrease the availability of serotonin transporters (5-HTT), limited evidence is available as to the adaptive mechanisms taking place in gene expression levels in the brain following a dosing regimen of MDMA comparable to human consumption. In order to further clarify this issue, we used quantitative PCR to study the long-term changes induced by acute administration of MDMA (5 mg/kg × 3) in the expression of genes related to serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, as well as those related to cellular toxicity in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and brain stem of rats. Seven days after MDMA administration, we found a significantly lower expression of the 5-HTT (Slc6a4) and the vesicular monoamine transporter (Slc18a2) genes in the brain stem area. In the hippocampus, monoamine oxidase B (Maob) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) gene expressions were increased. In the striatum, tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) expression was decreased, and a lower expression of α-synuclein (Snca) was observed in the cortex. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the genes considered to be biomarkers of toxicity including the glial fibrillary acidic protein (Gfap) and the heat-shock 70 kD protein 1A (Hspa1a) in any of the structures assayed. These results suggest that MDMA promotes adaptive changes in genes related to serotonergic and dopaminergic functionality, but not in genes related to neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyas
- Human Pharmacology and Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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Biezonski DK, Meyer JS. The Nature of 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonergic Dysfunction: Evidence for and Against the Neurodegeneration Hypothesis. Curr Neuropharmacol 2011; 9:84-90. [PMID: 21886568 PMCID: PMC3137208 DOI: 10.2174/157015911795017146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2009] [Revised: 04/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
High doses of the recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") have been well-documented to reduce the expression of serotonergic markers in several forebrain regions of rats and nonhuman primates. Neuroimaging studies further suggest that at least one of these markers, the plasma membrane serotonin transporter (SERT), may also be reduced in heavy Ecstasy users. Such effects, particularly when observed in experimental animal models, have generally been interpreted as reflecting a loss of serotonergic fibers and terminals following MDMA exposure. This view has been challenged, however, based on the finding that MDMA usually does not elicit glial cell reactions known to occur in response to central nervous system (CNS) damage. The aim of this review is to address both sides of the MDMA-neurotoxicity controversy, including recent findings from our laboratory regarding the potential of MDMA to induce serotonergic damage in a rat binge model. Our data add to the growing literature implicating neuroregulatory mechanisms underlying MDMA-induced serotonergic dysfunction and questioning the need to invoke a degenerative response to explain such dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik K Biezonski
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003, USA
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Ádori C, Andó RD, Szekeres M, Gutknecht L, Kovács GG, Hunyady L, Lesch KP, Bagdy G. Recovery and aging of serotonergic fibers after single and intermittent MDMA treatment in dark agouti rat. J Comp Neurol 2011; 519:2353-78. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.22631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Blagrove M, Seddon J, George S, Parrott AC, Stickgold R, Walker MP, Jones KA, Morgan MJ. Procedural and declarative memory task performance, and the memory consolidation function of sleep, in recent and abstinent ecstasy/MDMA users. J Psychopharmacol 2011; 25:465-77. [PMID: 20615932 PMCID: PMC3604193 DOI: 10.1177/0269881110372545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ecstasy/MDMA use has been associated with various memory deficits. This study assessed declarative and procedural memory in ecstasy/MDMA users. Participants were tested in two sessions, 24 h apart, so that the memory consolidation function of sleep on both types of memory could also be assessed. Groups were: drug-naive controls (n = 24); recent ecstasy/MDMA users, who had taken ecstasy/MDMA 2-3 days before the first testing session (n = 25), and abstinent users, who had not taken ecstasy/MDMA for at least 8 days before testing (n = 17). Procedural memory did not differ between groups, but greater lifetime consumption of ecstasy was associated with poorer procedural memory. Recent ecstasy/MDMA users who had taken other drugs (mainly cannabis) 48-24 h before testing exhibited poorer declarative memory than controls, but recent users who had not taken other drugs in this 48-24-h period did not differ from controls. Greater lifetime consumption of ecstasy, and of cocaine, were associated with greater deficits in declarative memory. These results suggest that procedural, as well as declarative, memory deficits are associated with the extent of past ecstasy use. However, ecstasy/MDMA did not affect the memory consolidation function of sleep for either the declarative or the procedural memory task.
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Adori C, Low P, Andó RD, Gutknecht L, Pap D, Truszka F, Takács J, Kovács GG, Lesch KP, Bagdy G. Ultrastructural characterization of tryptophan hydroxylase 2-specific cortical serotonergic fibers and dorsal raphe neuronal cell bodies after MDMA treatment in rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 213:377-91. [PMID: 21052985 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-2041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2010] [Accepted: 09/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a widely used recreational drug known to cause selective long-term serotonergic damage. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterize the ultrastructure of serotonergic pericarya and proximal neurites in the dorsal raphe nucleus as well as the ultrastructure of serotonergic axons in the frontal cortex of adolescent Dark Agouti rats 3 days after treatment with 15 mg/kg i.p. MDMA. METHODS Light microscopic immunohistochemistry and pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy with a novel tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (Tph2) specific antibody, as a marker of serotonergic structures. RESULTS Light microscopic analysis showed reduced serotonergic axon density and aberrant swollen varicosities in the frontal cortex of MDMA-treated animals. According to the electron microscopic analysis, Tph2 exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic immunolocalization in dorsal raphe neuronal cell bodies. The ultrastructural-morphometric analysis of these cell bodies did not indicate pathological changes or significant alteration in the cross-sectional areal density of any examined organelles. Proximal serotonergic neurites in the dorsal raphe exhibited no ultrastructural alteration. However, in the frontal cortex among intact fibers, numerous serotonergic axons with destructed microtubules were found. Most of their mitochondria were intact, albeit some injured axons also contained degenerating mitochondria; moreover, a few of them comprised confluent membrane whorls only. CONCLUSIONS Our treatment protocol does not lead to ultrastructural alteration in the serotonergic dorsal raphe cell bodies and in their proximal neurites but causes impairment in cortical serotonergic axons. In these, the main ultrastructural alteration is the destruction of microtubules although a smaller portion of these axons probably undergo an irreversible damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Adori
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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11
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Acute MDMA administration alters the distribution and circadian rhythm of wheel running activity in the rat. Brain Res 2010; 1359:128-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2010] [Revised: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 08/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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12
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Ádori C, Andó RD, Ferrington L, Szekeres M, Vas S, Kelly PA, Hunyady L, Bagdy G. Elevated BDNF protein level in cortex but not in hippocampus of MDMA-treated Dark Agouti rats: A potential link to the long-term recovery of serotonergic axons. Neurosci Lett 2010; 478:56-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.04.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Accepted: 04/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Activation of 5-HT3 receptors leads to altered responses 6 months after MDMA treatment. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2010; 117:285-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-009-0357-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/08/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Intermittent prenatal MDMA exposure alters physiological but not mood related parameters in adult rat offspring. Behav Brain Res 2010; 206:299-309. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2009] [Revised: 09/18/2009] [Accepted: 09/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Biezonski DK, Meyer JS. Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on serotonin transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 protein and gene expression in rats: implications for MDMA neurotoxicity. J Neurochem 2009; 112:951-62. [PMID: 20002520 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06515.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy') is a popular recreational drug used worldwide. This study aimed to determine the effects of this compound on the expression of nerve terminal serotonergic markers in rats. Experiment 1 investigated MDMA-induced changes in levels of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT-2) in the hippocampus, a region with sparse dopaminergic innervation, after lesioning noradrenergic input with N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 100 mg/kg DSP-4 or saline 1 week prior to either an MDMA (10 mg/kg x 4) or saline binge. Two weeks following the binge treatment, the DSP-4/MDMA group unexpectedly showed little change in hippocampal VMAT-2 protein expression compared with DSP-4/Saline controls, despite large reductions in SERT levels in all regions examined in the MDMA-treated animals. Furthermore, animals treated with binge MDMA (Experiment 2) showed a striking decrease in SERT gene expression (and a lesser effect on VMAT-2) measured by quantitative RT-PCR in pooled dorsal and median raphe tissue punches, when compared with saline-treated controls. These results demonstrate that MDMA causes substantial regulatory changes in the expression of serotonergic markers, thus questioning the need to invoke distal axotomy as an explanation of MDMA-related serotonergic deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik K Biezonski
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Brower KJ, Perron BE. Sleep disturbance as a universal risk factor for relapse in addictions to psychoactive substances. Med Hypotheses 2009; 74:928-33. [PMID: 19910125 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Accepted: 10/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Relapse to uncontrolled use of a psychoactive substance is arguably the single most defining characteristic of an addiction. Relapse following addiction treatment is very common with serious consequences to individuals, families, and the public system of care, making predictors of relapse a highly significant area of study. Before the turn of the century, most of the addiction treatment outcome literature focused on psychosocial predictors of relapse. More recently, investigating biological predictors of relapse specifically and treatment outcome broadly has gained momentum. This line of research has linked sleep disturbances to the risk of relapse among persons who are recovering from an alcohol addiction. Given common neurobiological and psychosocial processes in sleep and addictive behaviors, we hypothesize that the link between sleep disturbance and relapse risk observed among alcohol addiction generalizes to all other types of psychoactive substances. This hypothesis has the potential for helping develop more effective and targeted treatment approaches for persons with addiction. As initial support for the hypothesis, this paper reviews evidence on common neurobiological processes among various types of psychoactive substances that suggests sleep is a universal risk factor for relapse. A conceptual framework is also presented to articulate causal mechanisms. The paper concludes with implications for research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk J Brower
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, SPC 5740, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2700, USA.
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Equivalent effects of acute tryptophan depletion on REM sleep in ecstasy users and controls. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 206:187-96. [PMID: 19585107 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-009-1595-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/15/2009] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study sought to test the association between 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine use, serotonergic function and sleep. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ambulatory polysomnography was used to measure three nights sleep in 12 ecstasy users and 12 controls after screening (no intervention), a tryptophan-free amino acid mixture (acute tryptophan depletion (ATD)) and a tryptophan-supplemented control mixture. RESULTS ATD significantly decreased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep onset latency, increased the amount of REM sleep and increased the amount of stage 2 sleep in the first 3 h of sleep. There was no difference between ecstasy users' and controls' sleep on the screening night or after ATD. DISCUSSION These findings imply that the ecstasy users had not suffered significant serotonergic damage as indexed by sleep.
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Kitka T, Katai Z, Pap D, Molnar E, Adori C, Bagdy G. Small platform sleep deprivation selectively increases the average duration of rapid eye movement sleep episodes during sleep rebound. Behav Brain Res 2009; 205:482-7. [PMID: 19665493 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2009] [Revised: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The single platform-on-water (flower pot) method is extensively used for depriving rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). Detailed comparison of sleep-wake architecture, recorded during the rebound period after spending three days on either a small or large platform, could separate the effects of REMS deficit from other stress factors caused by the procedure. A further aim of the study was to find the most characteristic REMS parameter of the rebound originating from REMS deficit. Rats were kept on a small or large platform for 72 h. Their fronto-parietal electroencephalogram, electromyogram and motility were recorded during the 24 h rebound at the beginning of the passive phase. A similar period of a home cage group was also recorded. The most typical differences between the two rebound groups were the increased cumulative time and longer average duration of REMS episodes without significant change in the number of these episodes of the small platform animals during the passive phase. Results obtained by cosinor analysis were in accordance with the findings above. Since we did not find any difference in the average duration of REMS episodes comparing the large platform rebound group and the home cage group, we concluded that the increased mean duration of REMS episodes is a selective marker for the rebound caused by small platform sleep deprivation, while other changes in sleep architecture may be the consequence of stress and also some sleep deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Kitka
- Semmelweis University, Department of Pharmacodynamics, Nagyvarad ter 4, Budapest 1089, Hungary
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