title: Hippocampal serotonergic damage induced by MDMA (ecstasy): effects on spatial learning.
abstract: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use has been associated with a decline in various aspects of mnemonic function in humans. We therefore postulated that MDMA-induced damage of serotonergic nerve terminals would alter hippocampal processing. Seven days following treatment with MDMA (2 x 20 mg/kg sc, given 12 h apart), rat spatial learning and memory were tested utilizing the Morris water maze (MWM). No statistical differences were found in MWM platform acquisition latency or pathlength between controls and MDMA-treated animals. Probe trials revealed significantly higher proximity score averages and significantly reduced preference for the target quadrant in the MDMA-treated animals. MDMA treatment resulted in significant reduction (34%) in hippocampal serotonin (5-HT) levels 14 days after initial treatment. The findings of this study demonstrate that hippocampal serotonergic lesions induced by MDMA may be ostensibly linked to a reference memory deficit in rats tested with the MWM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH 45810, USA. j-sprague@onu.edu
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sprague
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leifheit
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woodside
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D018490:Serotonin Agents; D012701:Serotonin; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine