

MDMA is a ring-substituted amphetamine that acutely raises extracellular levels of serotonin (5HT), and to a lesser extent dopamine, and norepinephrine (NE) by reversing the serotonin transporter (SERT), dopamine transporter, NE transporter, or vesicular monoamine transporters ( 8– 10). In reality MDMA and related amphetamines produce profound acute effects on cardiovascular physiology that may lead to cardiotoxicity and increased susceptibility for heart-related fatalities, in addition to producing neurocognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. ) that MDMA is a relatively benign drug with mystical, empathogenic properties contribute to the problem. The perception by the general public and advocacy groups (e.g. Despite research elucidating the mechanism by which MDMA negatively affects central and peripheral physiology, MDMA is still used in alarming quantities by teenagers and adults ( 6, 7). In fact, numerous studies show that MDMA increases heart rate and blood pressure in rats ( 1, 2) as well as humans ( 3– 5). euphoria, intense empathy for others, and extreme relaxation) coincide with numerous negative effects such as tachycardia, hypertension, and indirect cardiac stressors associated with suppression of appetite, thirst, and sleep.

MDMA abuse remains a societal problem in developed nations despite two decades of research indicating that the acute positive effects of MDMA (e.g. The contributions of serotonergic signaling on MDMA-induced changes in cardiac metabolism remain to be determined.ģ,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA ecstasy) is a recreational drug that has stimulant and hallucinogen-like properties. The results are consistent with the notion that MDMA has significant effects on cardiovascular serotonergic tone and disrupts the metabolic homeostasis of energy regulation in cardiac tissue, potentially increasing utilization of fatty acid metabolism. Finally, choline levels were significantly decreased by MDMA in heart. MDMA significantly altered the MR-visible profile with an increase in carnitine and no change in other key compounds involved in cardiomyocyte energy metabolomics. Serotonin, but not NE, levels were significantly and dose-dependently decreased by MDMA in the heart wall. MDMA significantly and dose-dependently increased body temperature, a hallmark of amphetamines. Body temperature was measured following each MDMA administration and serotonin and norepinephrine (NE) levels were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) in heart tissue from treated animals. MDMA effects on MR-visible choline, glutamate, glutamine, and taurine were also determined.

High resolution magic angle spinning proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1H-MRS) at 11.7 T, a specialized version of MRS aptly suited for analysis of semi-solid materials such as intact tissue samples, was used to measure the cardiac metabolomic profile, including alanine, lactate, succinate, creatine, and carnitine, in heart tissue from rats treated with MDMA. To determine the effects of MDMA on cardiac metabolites in rats, MDMA (0, 5, or 10 mg/kg) was injected every 2 h for a total of four injections animals were sacrificed 2 h after the last injection (8 h drug exposure), and their hearts removed and tissue samples from left ventricular wall dissected. Acute exposure to MDMA has profound cardiovascular effects on blood pressure and heart rate in humans and animals. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice.Despite the potential for deleterious (even fatal) effects on cardiac physiology, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA ecstasy) abuse abounds driven mainly by its euphoric effects. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. Click ‘Customise Cookies’ to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. If you agree, we’ll also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie Notice. We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements. We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie Notice.
