Exploring the impact of MDMA and oxytocin ligands on anxiety and social responses: A comprehensive behavioural and molecular study in the zebrafish model.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) April 1, 2025 Monika Maciag, Olga Doszyn, Artur Wnorowski et al. 4 citations
Acute exposure to MDMA reduces anxiety-like behavior and increases social preference in 3-week-old zebrafish. These effects are biphasic: the lowest dose (0.5 μM) increases anxiety while also increasing social preference, and as concentration rises the effects reverse, peaking at 2.5 μM. MDMA suppresses expression of serotonin receptor and transporter genes, increases oxytocin receptor genes, decreases a vasopressin receptor gene, and reduces AKT phosphorylation. An oxytocin receptor agonist mimics MDMA's effects, while an antagonist has no significant effect on anxiety or social behavior. The findings suggest MDMA has therapeutic potential for anxiety disorders and social impairments, and that young zebrafish are a useful model for neurobehavioral research.