title: Differential behavioral outcomes of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA-ecstasy) in anxiety-like responses in mice.
abstract: Anxiolytic and anxiogenic-like behavioral outcomes have been reported for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) in rodents. In the present experiment, we attempted to identify behavioral, hormonal and neurochemical outcomes of MDMA treatment to clarify its effects on anxiety-related responses in 2-month-old Balb/c male mice (25-35 g; N = 7-10 mice/group). The behavioral tests used were open field, elevated plus maze, hole board, and defensive behavior against predator odor. Moreover, we also determined striatal dopamine and dopamine turnover, and serum corticosterone levels. MDMA was injected ip at 0.2, 1.0, 5.0, 8.0, 10, or 20 mg/kg. MDMA at 10 mg/kg induced the following significant (P < 0.05) effects: a) a dose-dependent increase in the distance traveled and in the time spent moving in the open field; b) decreased exploratory activity in the hole board as measured by number of head dips and time spent in head dipping; c) increased number of open arm entries and increased time spent in open arm exploration in the elevated plus maze; d) increased time spent away from an aversive stimulus and decreased number of risk assessments in an aversive odor chamber; e) increased serum corticosterone levels, and f) increased striatal dopamine level and turnover. Taken together, these data suggest an anxiogenic-like effect of acute MDMA treatment, despite the fact that behavioral anxiety expression was impaired in some of the behavioral tests used as a consequence of the motor stimulating effects of MDMA.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuroimunomodulação, Universidade de São Paulo.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferraz-de-Paula
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stankevicius
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Costa
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lapachinske
authors.forename: R L M
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palermo-Neto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D003345:Corticosterone