Pharmacology: uncoupling the agony from ecstasy.
The recreational use of amphetamine-type stimulants can produce a marked and sometimes lethal increase in body temperature. Here we show that mice deficient in a mitochondrial protein known as UCP-3 (for 'uncoupling protein-3') have a diminished thermogenic response to the drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, nicknamed 'ecstasy') and so are protected against this dangerously toxic effect. Our findings indicate that UCP-3 is important in MDMA-induced hyperthermia and point to a new therapeutic direction for solving an increasing public-health problem.
Mills
Edward M
EM
Cardiovascular Branch, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1622, USA.
Banks
Matthew L
ML
Sprague
Jon E
JE
Finkel
Toren
T
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D007473:Ion Channels; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604393:Ucp3 protein, mouse; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine