Small Changes in Ambient Temperature Cause Large Changes in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity and Core Body Temperature in the Rat
Journal of Neuroscience July 1, 1998 Jessica E. Malberg, Lewis S. Seiden 344 citations
Small changes in ambient temperature alter core body temperature in rats given MDMA, and those temperature shifts influence the drug's neurotoxicity. Rats treated with MDMA at 20 or 22°C showed a drop in core temperature and no detectable damage to serotonin nerve endings in brain regions examined. At 26–30°C, core temperature rose and neurotoxicity appeared in the frontal cortex, somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, with damage severity linked to core temperature. Saline-treated rats showed no temperature changes across the same ambient conditions. These findings suggest ambient temperature strongly affects MDMA's toxicity and thermoregulation, with implications for human use where fatal hyperthermia occurs.