Addiction Biology
September 8, 2009
Manuel Daza‐losada, Marta Rodríguez‐arias, María A. Aguilar et al.
37 citations
Adolescent mice exposed to MDMA, cocaine, or both drugs showed lasting changes into adulthood in their response to MDMA. Only those pre-treated with MDMA alone developed a conditioned place preference for a low dose of MDMA. All groups developed preference for a higher dose, but extinction took longer in mice pre-treated with cocaine (46 sessions) or MDMA alone (28 sessions). Preference was reinstated with progressively lower priming doses in mice pre-treated with MDMA or cocaine alone. Early exposure to MDMA or cocaine induces long-lasting changes that modify adult responses to MDMA.
Behavioral and Brain Functions
March 22, 2010
Carmen Manzanedo, Marta Rodríguez-Arias, Manuel Daza-Losada et al.
36 citations
In mice, a low dose of the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 increased the rewarding effects of a low dose of MDMA, while a higher dose of the cannabinoid decreased the preference induced by higher MDMA doses. The CB1 antagonist SR 141716 also increased the rewarding effects of the lowest MDMA dose. Animals given the highest WIN dose plus a non-neurotoxic MDMA dose showed decreases in striatal dopamine and cortical serotonin. WIN-induced conditioned place preference was reinstated by MDMA priming, but WIN did not reinstate MDMA-induced preference. The findings indicate the cannabinoid system influences MDMA's rewarding effects and suggest potential neurotoxic effects when cannabinoids are combined with MDMA.
Behavioural Pharmacology
May 14, 2015
María Pilar García-pardo, Carla Escobar-Valero, Marta Rodrı́guez-arias et al.
29 citations
Blocking NMDA glutamate receptors with memantine prevents mice from learning to prefer a place associated with MDMA (ecstasy) and also prevents a single dose of MDMA from re-establishing that preference after it has been extinguished. Memantine did not block preference for a chocolate-associated place and only partly reversed MDMA's memory-impairing effects. The results suggest that NMDA receptors are critical for both the initial rewarding effect of MDMA and for relapse-like behavior, indicating memantine as a potential treatment for MDMA abuse.
Behavioural Pharmacology
September 1, 2014
María Pilar García-pardo, Marta Rodrı́guez-arias, Concepción Maldonado et al.
29 citations
Social defeat stress reduces the rewarding effects of MDMA in adult male mice, but not in adolescents. Adult mice exposed to social defeat before each MDMA conditioning session did not develop a conditioned place preference at either 1.25 or 10 mg/kg doses, indicating decreased sensitivity to MDMA reward. Social defeat did not alter the motor or anxiogenic effects of MDMA. Adult defeated mice had higher corticosterone levels than controls and adolescent mice. Social stress had no behavioral effects in adolescent mice, suggesting age-dependent vulnerability.
Addiction Biology
October 13, 2011
Bruno Ribeiro Do Couto, Manuel Daza‐losada, Marta Rodrı́guez-arias et al.
26 citations
Adolescent mice pre-exposed to ethanol, MDMA, or both showed increased rewarding effects from a low dose of MDMA in a conditioned place preference model. Pre-exposure did not alter acquisition of place preference induced by a higher MDMA dose, but the preference was more persistent in mice pre-exposed to MDMA or ethanol plus the higher MDMA dose. After extinction, reinstatement occurred with lower priming doses in pre-exposed groups. Pre-treatment also caused long-term changes in brain monoamine levels, including dopamine turnover and serotonin metabolites, depending on the dose used. The findings suggest that adolescent exposure to ethanol and MDMA may enhance the addictive properties of MDMA.