MDMA self‐administration in rats: acquisition, progressive ratio responding and serotonin transporter binding
European Journal of Neuroscience November 16, 2007 Susan Schenk, Lincoln S. Hely, Barbara Lake et al. 113 citations
MDMA self-administration was studied in previously drug-naïve rats. Acquisition varied widely, with about 60% of rats learning to self-administer MDMA over 15 days, a lower rate and slower onset than for cocaine. Responding depended on dose, and breakpoints under a progressive ratio schedule increased with dose. Rats that self-administered MDMA showed lower densities of serotonin transporter sites (SERT) across brain regions, comparable to reductions from experimenter-administered MDMA. The findings indicate MDMA has high abuse liability and that long-term self-administration may cause lasting deficits in serotonin neurotransmission.