title: Ketamine pretreatment exacerbated 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced central dopamine toxicity.
abstract: Currently, joint use of ketamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) represents a specific combination of polydrug abuse. Long-lasting and even aggravated central neuronal toxicity associated with mixing ketamine and MDMA use is of special concern. This study was undertaken to examine the modulating effects of ketamine treatment on later MDMA-induced dopamine and serotonin neurotoxicity. We found that repeated administration of ketamine (50 mg/kg x 7) at 1.5-h intervals did not render observable dopamine or serotonin depletion in catecholaminergic target regions examined. In contrast, three consecutive doses of MDMA (20 mg/kg each) at 2-h intervals produced long-lasting dopamine and serotonin depletions in striatum, nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. More importantly, pretreatment with binge doses of ketamine (50 mg/kg x 7 at 1.5-h intervals) 12 h prior to the MDMA dosing regimen (20 mg/kg x 3 at 2-h intervals) aggravated the MDMA-induced dopaminergic toxicity. Nonetheless, such binge doses of ketamine treatment did not affect MDMA-induced serotonergic toxicity. These results, taken together, indicate that binge use of ketamine specifically enhances the MDMA-induced central dopaminergic neurotoxicity in adult mouse brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jer
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Ming-Che
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Chianfang G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Cherng
authors.forename: Yen-Ping N
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chia-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Lung
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D007649:Ketamine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D004298:Dopamine