1
|
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.
Collapse
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)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Arluk S, Matar MA, Carmi L, Arbel O, Zohar J, Todder D, Cohen H. MDMA treatment paired with a trauma-cue promotes adaptive stress responses in a translational model of PTSD in rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:181. [PMID: 35504866 PMCID: PMC9064970 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01952-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), a synthetic ring-substituted amphetamine, combined with psychotherapy has demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. This controlled prospective study aimed to assess the bio-behavioral underpinnings of MDMA in a translational model of PTSD. Rats exposed to predator-scent stress (PSS) were subjected to a trauma-cue at day 7 shortly after single-dose MDMA injection (5 mg/kg). The elevated plus maze and acoustic startle response tests were assessed on day 14 and served for classification into behavioral response groups. Freezing response to a further trauma-reminder was assessed on Day 15. The morphological characteristics of the dentate gyrus (DG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) were subsequently examined. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and 5-hydroxytryptamine involvement were evaluated using: (1) corticosterone measurements at 2 h and 4 h after MDMA treatment, (2) Lewis strain rats with blunted HPA-response and (3) pharmacological receptor-blockade. MDMA treatment was effective in attenuating stress behavioral responses only when paired with memory reactivation by a trauma-cue. The effects of the treatment on behavior were associated with a commensurate normalization of the dendritic cytoarchitecture of DG and BLA neurons. Pretreatment with RU486, Ketanserin, or Pindolol prevented the above improvement in anxiety-like behavioral responses. MDMA treatment paired with memory reactivation reduced the prevalence rate of PTSD-phenotype 14 days later and normalized the cytoarchitecture changes induced by PSS (in dendritic complexities) compared to saline control. MDMA treatment paired with a trauma-cue may modify or update the original traumatic memory trace through reconsolidation processes. These anxiolytic-like effects seem to involve the HPA axis and 5-HT systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shira Arluk
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Michael A Matar
- Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Lior Carmi
- Post-Trauma Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Oded Arbel
- Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, The Mindfulness Clinic, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Joseph Zohar
- Post-Trauma Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Doron Todder
- Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Hagit Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
- Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pantoni MM, Anagnostaras SG. Cognitive Effects of MDMA in Laboratory Animals: A Systematic Review Focusing on Dose. Pharmacol Rev 2019; 71:413-449. [PMID: 31249067 DOI: 10.1124/pr.118.017087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is primarily used recreationally but also may have some therapeutic value. At low doses, MDMA produces feelings of relaxation, empathy, emotional closeness, and euphoria. Higher doses can produce unpleasant psychostimulant- and hallucinogen-like adverse effects and therefore are usually not taken intentionally. There is considerable evidence that MDMA produces neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits at high doses; however, these findings may not generalize to typical recreational or therapeutic use of low-dose MDMA. Here, we systematically review 25 years of research on the cognitive effects of MDMA in animals, with a critical focus on dose. We found no evidence that doses of less than 3 mg/kg MDMA-the dose range that users typically take-produce cognitive deficits in animals. Doses of 3 mg/kg or greater, which were administered most often and frequently ranged from 5 to 20 times greater than an average dose, also did not produce cognitive deficits in a slight majority of experiments. Overall, the preclinical evidence of MDMA-induced cognitive deficits is weak and, if anything, may be the result of unrealistically high dosing. While factors associated with recreational use such as polydrug use, adulterants, hyperthermia, and hyponatremia can increase the potential for neurotoxicity, the short-term, infrequent, therapeutic use of ultra low-dose MDMA is unlikely to pose significant cognitive risks. Future studies must examine any adverse cognitive effects of MDMA using clinically relevant doses to reliably assess its potential as a psychotherapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Pantoni
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology (M.M.P., S.G.A.) and Program in Neurosciences (S.G.A.), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Stephan G Anagnostaras
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology (M.M.P., S.G.A.) and Program in Neurosciences (S.G.A.), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bath salts and polyconsumption: in search of drug-drug interactions. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:1001-1014. [PMID: 30911791 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05213-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE Polydrug use is a widespread phenomenon, especially among adolescents and young adults. Synthetic cathinones are frequently consumed in combination with other drugs of abuse. However, there is very little information regarding the consequences of this specific consumption pattern. OBJECTIVES The aim of this review is to introduce this topic and highlight the gaps in the existing literature. In three different sections, we focus on specific interactions of synthetic cathinones with alcohol, cannabinoids, and the stimulants nicotine and cocaine. We then dedicate a section to the existence of sex and gender differences in the effects of synthetic cathinones and the long-term psychophysiological consequences of adolescent and prenatal exposure to these drugs. MAJOR FINDINGS Epidemiological studies, case reports, and results obtained in animal models point to the existence of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic interactions between synthetic cathinones and other drugs of abuse. This pattern of polyconsumption can cause the potentiation of negative effects, and the dissociation between objective and subjective effects can increase the combined use of the drugs and the risk of toxicity leading to serious health problems. Certain animal studies indicate a higher vulnerability and effect of cathinones in females. In humans, most of the users are men and case reports show long-term psychotic symptoms after repeated use. CONCLUSIONS The co-use of synthetic cathinones and the other drugs of abuse analyzed indicates potentiation of diverse effects including dependence and addiction, neurotoxicity, and impaired cognition and emotional responses. The motivations for and effects of synthetic cathinone use appear to be influenced by sex/gender. The long-term consequences of their use by adolescents and pregnant women deserve further investigation.
Collapse
|
5
|
Lazenka MF, Suyama JA, Bauer CT, Banks ML, Negus SS. Sex differences in abuse-related neurochemical and behavioral effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 152:52-60. [PMID: 27566288 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a substrate for dopamine (DA), norepinephrine and serotonin (5HT) transporters that produces greater pharmacological effects on certain endpoints in females than males in both clinical and rodent preclinical studies. To evaluate potential for sex differences in abuse-related MDMA effects, the present study compared MDMA effects on intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) and on in vivo microdialysis measurements of DA or 5HT in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in female and male Sprague-Dawley rats. For ICSS studies, electrodes were implanted in the medial forebrain bundle and rats trained to press for electrical stimulation over a range of frequencies (56-158Hz, 0.05 log increments) under a fixed-ratio 1 schedule, and the potency (0.32-3.2mg/kg, 10min pretreatment) and time course (3.2. mg/kg, 10-180min pretreatment) of MDMA effects were determined. For in vivo microdialysis, rats were implanted with bilateral guide cannulae targeting the NAc, and the time course of MDMA effects (1.0-3.2mg/kg, 0-180min) on DA and 5HT was determined. MDMA produced qualitatively similar effects in both sexes on ICSS (both increases in low ICSS rates maintained by low brain-stimulation frequencies and decreases in high ICSS rates maintained by high brain-stimulation frequencies) and microdialysis (increases in both DA and 5HT). The duration and peak levels of both abuse-related ICSS facilitation and increases in NAc DA were longer in females. MDMA was also more potent to increase 5HT in females. These results provide evidence for heightened sensitivity of females to abuse-related behavioral and neurochemical effects of MDMA in rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M F Lazenka
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
| | - J A Suyama
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - C T Bauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - M L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - S S Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| |
Collapse
|