Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’) is a known neurotoxin to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) nerve terminals. Recent studies have suggested that endogenous dopamine (DA) and/or 5-HT may mediate the MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. The central monoamine stores of rats were significantly decreased with reserpine (5 mg/kg) prior to toxic injections of MDMA. Rats given MDMA (30 mg/kg) displayed significant decreases in the density of 5-HT nerve terminals labeled by [ 3H]paroxetine both with (51 ± 8 %) and without (43 ± 20 %) reserpine pre-treatment. These data suggest that the degeneration of 5-HT nerve terminals following MDMA is independent of the presence of endogenous stores of DA or 5-HT.
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