title: Behavioural and neuroinflammatory effects of the combination of binge ethanol and MDMA in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Binge drinking is a common pattern of alcohol consumption among young people. Binge drinkers are especially susceptible to brain damage when other substances are co-administered, in particular, 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the behavioural consequences of voluntary binge ethanol consumption, alone and in combination to MDMA. Also, to elucidate the effects of the combined consumption of these two drugs on neuroinflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescent mice received MDMA (MDMA-treated mice), ethanol (ethanol-treated mice group) or both (ethanol plus MDMA-treated mice). Drinking in the dark (DID) procedure was used as a model of binge. Body temperature, locomotor activity, motor coordination, anxiety-like and despair behaviour in adolescent mice were evaluated 48 h, 72 h, and 7 days after the treatments. Also, neuroinflammatory response to these treatments was measured in the striatum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hyperthermia observed in MDMA-treated mice was abolished by pre-exposition to ethanol. Ethanol plus MDMA-treated mice showed lower locomotor activity. Ethanol-treated mice showed motor coordination impairment and increased despair behaviour. Anxiety-like behaviour was only seen in animals that were treated with both drugs. Contrarily, neuroinflammation was mostly seen in animals treated only with MDMA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethanol and MDMA co-administration increases the neurobehavioural changes induced by the consumption of each one of these drugs. However, as ethanol consumption did not increase neuroinflammatory responses induced by MDMA, other mechanisms, mediated by ethanol, are likely to account for this effect and need to be evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Recerca en Neurobiologia del Comportament, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ros-Simó
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Medina
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Valverde
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D000431:Ethanol; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine