Erowid References Database
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Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Ghosal S.
“Anxiogenic activity of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy): an experimental study”.
Biogenic Amines. 1998;7:217-237.
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Abstract
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as Ecstasy., is widely abnsed as a recreational agent. Reports of death following MDMA intake has
aroused serious concern Although some of the clinical symploms of MDMA toxicity
include severe anxiety, panic, excitation and agitation, behavioural studies on the drug are sparse and incomplete. The present study investigated the anxiogenic activity of MDMA in rats, using yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) as the standard anxiogenic agent for comparison. The experimental methods used were the open-field, elevated plus-maze, social interaction and novelty-suppressed feeding latency tests, all the tests being experimentally validated as
rodent models of clinical anxiely. In addition, the effect of MDMA was assessed on rat brain tribulin activity in terms of endogenous monoamine oxidasc (MAO) A and B inhibition. Tribulin has been postulated to function as an endogenous marker of anxiety. MDMA (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced ambulation and rears, and increased immobility and defaecation, in the open-field test. These doses of MDMA produced a dose-related decrease in the number of entries and time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, reduced social interaction in paired rats and increased the feeding latency time in an unfamiliar environmental in food deprived rats. A qualitatively similar response was
induced by yohimbine in all these test parameters. Both MDMA (5 and 10 mg/kg i.p.) and yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p) increased rat brain tribulin activity, the increase in the MAO A inhibitor component being more than that on the MAO B inhibilor component. Several anxiogenic agents induce a similar response, as does anxiety associated with addictive drug.
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