Carrier‐Mediated Release of Serotonin by 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine: Implications for Serotonin‐Dopamine Interactions
Journal of Neurochemistry January 1, 1996 G. A. Gudelsky, J. Frank Nash 249 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) increases serotonin levels in the brain by directly causing serotonin transporters to release the neurotransmitter, rather than by triggering nerve cell firing. Blocking serotonin transporters with fluoxetine prevents both the serotonin and the dopamine surges normally caused by MDMA. When serotonin production is boosted beforehand with carbidopa and L-5-hydroxytryptophan, MDMA produces an even larger, synergistic increase in serotonin and also amplifies dopamine release. These findings support a model in which serotonin actively stimulates dopamine release, and they clarify the chemical mechanism behind MDMA's effects on mood and behavior.