title: The antinociceptive effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in the rat.
abstract: The antinociceptive effects of MDMA and morphine were examined in rats using the tail-flick and hot-plate analgesiometric tests. MDMA, in the dose range of 1.5-6.0 mg/kg IP, produced a dose-dependent elevation in hot-plate latency, but did not elevate tail-flick latency. In contrast, morphine (2-8 mg/kg, IP) produced analgesia on both the tail-flick and hot-plate tests in a dose-dependent manner. Neither the opiate antagonist naltrexone nor the adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine effectively attenuated MDMA-induced analgesia. Conversely, the serotonin antagonist methysergide significantly reversed the analgesic effects of MDMA on the hot-plate test. These findings suggest that the antinociceptive effects of MDMA are serotonergically mediated. Furthermore, the results verify earlier findings describing the test-specific effects of serotonin-induced pain modulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Northeastern Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, Rootstown 44272.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crisp
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Stafinsky
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Boja
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schechter
mesh_terms: D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D000700:Analgesics; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine; D009271:Naltrexone; D009020:Morphine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D008784:Methysergide