Effect of ambient temperature on hyperthermia and hyperkinesis induced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy") in rats.
A stress-free, biotelemetric monitoring technique was used to investigate the effects of ambient temperature (Ta) on the hyperthermic and hyperkinetic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. In the first experiment a single injection of 5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg MDMA produced hyperthermia in rats maintained at a Ta of 24 degrees C but hypothermia in rats maintained at a Ta of 11 degrees C for 24 h prior to the injection. In contrast, hyperkinesis was induced at both Tas. In the second experiment, the effects of acute MDMA administration was compared in rats maintained at a standard Ta of 24 degrees C and in rats which were placed in a cool (11 degrees C) room for a brief (90-min) period commencing 30 min after the injection. The brief exposure to the cool environment produced significant attenuation of MDMA-induced hyperthermia but did not affect the magnitude of hyperkinesis. The implications of the results for the understanding of the thermotoxic effects of MDMA in human drug users are discussed.
Dafters
R I
RI
Psychology Department, Glasgow University, UK.
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013686:Telemetry; D013696:Temperature
D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine