A PET study of effects of chronic 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) on serotonin markers in Göttingen minipig brain
Synapse April 5, 2007 Paul Cumming, Mette Møller, Kjeld Benda et al. 28 citations
The psychostimulant MDMA (ecstasy) causes degeneration of serotonin nerve endings in the forebrain of rodents, nonhuman primates, and human users. To study this in a large animal without using primates, researchers used PET scans to map serotonin transporters and 5HT1A receptors in the brains of Göttingen minipigs before and after MDMA treatment. Total doses above 20 mg/kg reduced serotonin transporter binding: a mean 42 mg/kg dose caused a 32% decrease in the midbrain and thalamus and a 53% decrease in forebrain structures. This loss did not consistently alter 5HT1A receptor binding. The number of serotonin-producing neurons in the dorsal raphé nucleus (about 95,000 in normal animals) remained unchanged.