Differential long-term effects of MDMA on the serotoninergic system and hippocampal cell proliferation in 5-HTT knock-out vs. wild-type mice
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology July 9, 2008 Thibault Renoir, Eleni Païzanis, Malika El Yacoubi et al. 58 citations
A single sentence summary is not possible because the abstract contains multiple distinct findings. Four weeks after administering MDMA to mice, the potency of a 5-HT1A receptor agonist to inhibit serotonin neuron firing in the dorsal raphe nucleus doubled, and the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT increased, indicating supersensitivity of 5-HT1A autoreceptors. Brain serotonin levels decreased without changes in citalopram binding. MDMA treatment also reduced hippocampal cell proliferation by 30% and increased immobility in the forced swim test, suggesting depressive-like behavior. These effects were absent in mice lacking the serotonin transporter, indicating the transporter is required for these delayed, antidepressant-opposite effects that may contribute to MDMA-induced mood disorders.