title: Serotonin mediates rapid changes of striatal glucose and lactate metabolism after systemic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") administration in awake rats.
abstract: The pathway for selective serotonergic toxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") is poorly understood, but has been linked to hyperthermia and disturbed energy metabolism. We investigated the dose-dependency and time-course of MDMA-induced perturbations of cerebral glucose metabolism in freely moving rats using rapid sampling microdialysis (every minute) coupled to flow-injection analysis (FIA) with biosensors for glucose and lactate. Blood samples for analysis of glucose and lactate were taken at 30-45 min intervals before and after drug dosing and body temperature was monitored by telemetry. A single dose of MDMA (2-10-20 mg/kg i.v.) evoked a transient increase of interstitial glucose concentrations in striatum (139-223%) with rapid onset and of less than 2h duration, a concomitant but more prolonged lactate increase (>187%) at the highest MDMA dose and no significant depletions of striatal serotonin. Blood glucose and lactate levels were also transiently elevated (163 and 135%) at the highest MDMA doses. The blood glucose rises were significantly related to brain glucose and brain lactate changes. The metabolic perturbations in striatum and the hyperthermic response (+1.1 degrees C) following systemic MDMA treatment were entirely blocked in p-chlorophenylalanine pre-treated rats, indicating that these effects are mediated by endogenous serotonin.
authors.affiliation: Anatomy & Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Winsløwparken 21, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark. jbgramsbergen@health.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Jan Bert
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gramsbergen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cumming
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018490:Serotonin Agents; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D012701:Serotonin; D019344:Lactic Acid; D005947:Glucose; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D010134:Fenclonine