The abused drug MDMA (Ecstasy) induces programmed death of human serotonergic cells
The FASEB Journal February 1, 1997 Rabi Simantov, M Tauber 89 citations
MDMA (ecstasy), an amphetamine analog that causes hallucination and psychostimulation, can trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis) in human serotonergic JAR cells. The drug altered the cell cycle, increased G2/M phase arrest, and caused DNA fragmentation, effects that were blocked by cycloheximide. This apoptosis did not occur in nonserotonergic human NMB cells. The process depended on nitric oxide and dopamine and was stereospecific for amphetamines. The findings suggest a mechanism for long-term neuropsychiatric effects in users, though direct evidence in human neurons remains unclear.