Protective Effects of Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Induced Spatial Learning and Memory Impairment
Research Square Majid Eslami, Laleh Khorshidi, Maryam Ghasemi et al.
In rats, the recreational drug MDMA (Ecstasy) impairs spatial memory and increases oxidative stress and cell death in the hippocampus. Atorvastatin (5, 10, 20 mg/kg) and rosuvastatin (20 mg/kg), given orally for 21 days, prevented these memory deficits and reduced the MDMA-induced rise in reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and caspase-3 and -9 activities. The results suggest that these statins protect against MDMA neurotoxicity by suppressing oxidative stress and apoptosis.