title: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) decreases inflammation and airway reactivity in a murine model of asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or ecstasy, is a synthetic drug used recreationally, mainly by young people. It has been suggested that MDMA has a Th cell skewing effect, in which Th1 cell activity is suppressed and Th2 cell activity is increased. Experimental allergic airway inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rodents is a useful model to study Th2 response; therefore, based on the Th2 skewing effect of MDMA, we studied MDMA in a model of allergic lung inflammation in OVA-sensitized mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated cell trafficking in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood and bone marrow; cytokine production; L-selectin expression and lung histology. We also investigated the effects of MDMA on tracheal reactivity in vitro and mast cell degranulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that MDMA given prior to OVA challenge in OVA-sensitized mice decreased leukocyte migration into the lung, as revealed by a lower cell count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung histologic analysis. We also showed that MDMA decreased expression of both Th2-like cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10) and adhesion molecules (L-selectin). Moreover, we showed that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis is partially involved in the MDMA-induced reduction in leukocyte migration into the lung. Finally, we showed that MDMA decreased tracheal reactivity to methacholine as well as mast cell degranulation in situ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, we report here that MDMA given prior to OVA challenge in OVA-sensitized allergic mice is able to decrease lung inflammation and airway reactivity and that hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activation is partially involved. Together, the data strongly suggest an involvement of a neuroimmune mechanism in the effects of MDMA on lung inflammatory response and cell recruitment to the lungs of allergic animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo,  Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stankevicius
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferraz-de-Paula
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Milena Lobão
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ligeiro de Oliveira
authors.forename: Amílcar S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Damazo
authors.forename: Sílvio F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lapachinske
authors.forename: Regina L M
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Wothan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tavares de Lima
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palermo-Neto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine