The serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram reduces acute cardiovascular and vegetative effects of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) in healthy volunteers
Matthias E. Liechti, Franz X. Vollenweider
Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1177/026988110001400313 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMDMA (Ecstasy) moderately increases blood pressure and heart rate, slightly elevates body temperature, and produces a range of short-term side effects in humans. Pretreatment with the serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram (40 mg i.v.) reduced all these physiological changes except for body temperature, in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 16 healthy volunteers. These findings suggest that MDMA's physiological effects in humans are partially due to its interaction with the serotonin carrier and subsequent release of serotonin.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Double-blind placebo-controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Keywords | Citalopram Serotonin syndrome Dopamine |
| Citations | 144 |
| Key finding | Citalopram reduced MDMA-induced increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and side effects but not body temperature, indicating that these effects are partly mediated by serotonin release. |
Abstract
MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or ‘Ecstasy’ is a widely used recreational drug that produces a state of heightened mood but also cardiovascular and vegetative side-effects. In animals, MDMA releases serotonin and, to a lesser extent, dopamine and norepinephrine. The release of serotonin can be blocked by serotonin uptake inhibitors such as citalopram. It is unknown to what extent this mechanism is also responsible for the physiological side-effects of MDMA seen in humans. We investigated the effect of citalopram pretreatment (40 mg i.v.) on vegetative and cardiovascular effects of MDMA (1.5 mg/kg p.o.) in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in 16 healthy volunteers. MDMA moderately increased blood pressure and heart rate, slightly elevated body temperature and produced a broad range of acute and shortterm side-effects. Citalopram reduced all these MDMA-induced physiological changes except for body temperature. These findings suggest that physiological effects of MDMA in humans are partially due to an interaction of MDMA with the serotonin carrier and a subsequent release of serotonin.