title: Effects of adenosine A2a receptor agonist and antagonist on cerebellar nuclear factor-kB expression preceded by MDMA toxicity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adenosine is an endogenous purine nucleoside that has a neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system. The amphetamine derivative (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is a synthetic amphetamine analogue used recreationally to obtain an enhanced affiliated emotional response. MDMA is a potent monoaminergic neurotoxin with the potential of damage to brain neurons. The NF-kB family of proteins are ubiquitously expressed and are inducible transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in disparate processes such as immunity and ingrowth, development and cell-death regulation. In this study we investigated the effects of the A2a adenosine receptor (A2a-R) agonist (CGS) and antagonist (SCH) on NF-kB expression after MDMA administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty three male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected to MDMA (10 and 20mg/kg) followed by intraperitoneal CGS (0.03 mg/kg) or SCH (0.03mg/kg) injection. The cerebellum were then removed forcresylviolet staining, western blot and RT- PCR analyses. MDMA significantly elevated NF-kB expression. Our results showed that MDMA increased the number of cerebellar dark neurons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that administration of CGS following MDMA, significantly elevated the NF-kB expression both at mRNA and protein levels. By contrast, administration of the A2a-R antagonist SCH resulted in a decrease in the NF-kB levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that, co-administration of A2a agonist (CGS) can protect against MDMA neurotoxic effects by increasing NF-kB expression levels; suggesting a potential application for protection against the neurotoxic effects observed in MDMA users.
authors: 1. Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. Kermanian92@yahoo.com.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Kermanian
authors: 2. Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomy, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. mansourehsoleimani@gmail.com.
authors: Mansoureh
authors: M
authors: Soleimani
authors: 3. Assistant Professor, Neurophysiology Research Center, Department of Anatomy, Urmia University of medical sciences, Urmia, Iran. Bagher.pourheydar@gmail.com.
authors: Bagher
authors: B
authors: Pourheydar
authors: 4. Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, Zabol University, Zabol, Iran. arsamzadeh@yahoo.com.
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Samzadeh-Kermani
authors: 5. PhD candidate, Department of Anatomy,Iran university of medical sciences ,Tehran, Iran.
authors: Farzaneh
authors: F
authors: Mohammadzadeh
authors: 6. PhD, Professor of Anatomical Sciences, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Advanced Technology in Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran. mehdizadeh.m@iums.ac.ir.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Mehdizadeh
keywords: Adenosine; Cerebellum; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA); Nuclear factor-kB