MDMA (ecstasy) dose-dependently increased body temperature and decreased serotonin levels in heart tissue of rats. The drug altered cardiac metabolites, increasing carnitine while decreasing choline, with no change in other energy-related compounds. These effects suggest MDMA disrupts energy regulation in heart tissue, potentially shifting metabolism toward fatty acid use, and affects cardiovascular serotonergic signaling.
Among 226 MDMA users, 11.5% met lifetime criteria for Major Depressive Disorder. No association was found between the number of MDMA uses and major depression. However, those with lifetime major depression had higher rates of lifetime cannabis use disorder (adjusted odds ratio 2.40). Logistic regression indicated that lifetime cannabis use disorder, but not MDMA use, was significantly associated with lifetime Major Depressive Disorder. For females, a lifetime cannabis use disorder was strongly associated with major depression (adjusted odds ratio 4.99), while for males, neither drug use variable was associated with major depression.