Examining the role of oxytocin in the interoceptive effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) using a drug discrimination paradigm in the rat
Addiction Biology November 11, 2010 Jillian H. Broadbear, Brendan J. Tunstall, Katherine Beringer 38 citations
MDMA produces prosocial mood changes by enhancing serotonin transmission, which can stimulate oxytocin release. In a drug discrimination experiment with 24 male and female rats, an oxytocin analog partially mimicked MDMA's effects, while an oxytocin receptor blocker selectively reduced responses to MDMA but not to amphetamine. Imipramine had no effect. Oxytocin receptor activation appears to be a key cue distinguishing MDMA from amphetamine.