MDMA- and p-chlorophenylalanine-induced reduction in 5-HT concentrations: effects on serotonin transporter densities.

Brendon P Boot, Annis O Mechan, Una D McCann, George A Ricaurte

Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

European journal of pharmacology 2002 Oct 25

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Low levels of serotonin may reduce the density of the serotonin transporter (SERT) by either increasing trafficking or reducing synthesis; a "neuroadaptive response". To determine whether 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced reductions in SERT density could be related to such a mechanism, p-chlorophenylalanine or MDMA was administered to rats, and brain serotonin and SERT density were measured. As expected, both treatments led to serotonin depletion 1, 7 and 14 days later. However, only MDMA reduced SERT density. This observation suggests that MDMA-induced reductions in SERT density do not represent neuroadaptive responses to decreased levels of brain sero tonin, but may occur in response to some other stimulus or to the neurotoxic effects of MDMA.

Citation

Brendon P Boot, Annis O Mechan, Una D McCann, George A Ricaurte. MDMA- and p-chlorophenylalanine-induced reduction in 5-HT concentrations: effects on serotonin transporter densities. European journal of pharmacology. 2002 Oct 25;453(2-3):239-44