N. Aguirre et al., METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE INDUCES OPPOSITE CHANGES IN CENTRAL PRESYNAPTIC AND POSTSYNAPTIC 5-HT1A RECEPTORS IN RATS, European journal of pharmacology, 281(1), 1995, pp. 101-105
The present study examined the short- and long-term effects of single
and repeated administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA
, 'ecstasy') on somatodendritic and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors of t
he rat brain. [H-3]8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([H-3]8-OH-D
PAT) was used to label 5-HT1A receptors in the brain stem region conta
ining the dorsal raphe nucleus and in the frontal cortex. As expected,
both schedules of treatment reduced the serotonin :(5-hydroxytryptami
ne, 5-HT) content and [H-3]paroxetine binding in the frontal cortex bu
t not in the brain stem. Multiple but not single MDMA administration s
ignificantly reduced 5-HT1A receptor density in the selected brain ste
m region. In the frontal cortex, both MDMA treatments increased or ten
ded to increase 5-HT1A receptor number, the effect being more marked a
fter repeated drug administration.