title: Ecstasy toxicity: a comparison to methamphetamine and traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Ecstasy use is a growing problem in the United States. Techniques to demonstrate and characterize the toxicity associated with its use have been limited and employed infrequently. In this study, we compare the deleterious effects of ecstasy use in rats with that of methamphetamine and traumatic brain injury. Specifically, we investigate the degradation of structural proteins alphaII-spectrin and tau by the pro-necrotic calpain and pro-apoptotic caspase systems. Ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity is shown after 24 hours, although to a much lesser extent than that of methamphetamine or traumatic brain injury. Neurotoxicity is still evident after 72 hours. Furthermore, apoptosis of the liver is seen 72 hours after ecstasy use. Use of protease inhibitors may be useful in preventing ecstasy-induced toxicity.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Firas H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kobeissy
authors.forename: Ming Cheng
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Kevin K W
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013049:Spectrin / Q000187:drug effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006213:Hallucinogens; D016875:tau Proteins; D013049:Spectrin; D008694:Methamphetamine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine