Serotonin–GABA interactions modulate MDMA‐induced mesolimbic dopamine release
Journal of Neurochemistry October 27, 2004 Michael G. Bankson, Bryan K. Yamamoto 84 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) increases the release of the neurotransmitter GABA in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the rat brain, which in turn dampens the rise of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) shell. This GABA increase depends on activation of serotonin 5-HT2B/2C receptors in the VTA, because blocking those receptors reduced the GABA rise and allowed dopamine in the NAC to increase more. By contrast, amphetamine also raised GABA in the VTA and dopamine in the NAC, but its GABA increase was not mediated by those serotonin receptors. The findings suggest a serotonergic braking mechanism that limits MDMA's dopamine-releasing effect.