Abstract
This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the locus coeruleus firing rate, on the sensitivity of the α 2-adrenoceptors which regulate neuronal activity and on the in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity in hippocampus. The basal firing rate was not modified by either a single dose or repeated doses of MDMA, although the latter produced a shift to the right in the dose-response curve for clonidine-induced inhibition of the firing rate (ED 50 increased by 59%) and a reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase activity (20%) in the hippocampus. However, 8 days after the final dose α 2-adrenoceptor sensitivity and tyrosine hydroxylase activity had returned to control values. Our results show a desensitization of α 2-adrenoceptors in locus coeruleus and the existence of short-term changes in the noradrenergic system.
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