MDMA in Adolescent Male Rats
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2006 Raquel Faria, Ana Magalhães, Pedro Monteiro et al. 29 citations
Adolescent male rats given 10 mg/kg of MDMA every 2 hours for 6 hours showed decreased serotonin content in the amygdala and increased anxiety-like behavior ten days later, compared to controls given saline. In the elevated plus-maze, treated rats made fewer entries into unprotected arms and showed less rearing, indicating heightened anxiety. No significant changes in dopamine or its metabolites were observed. The findings suggest that MDMA exposure during adolescence can cause lasting serotonin depletion and anxiety-like effects, similar to those seen in adult rats.