Acute MDMA and Nicotine Co-administration: Behavioral Effects and Oxidative Stress Processes in Mice
Barbara Budzynska, Artur Wnorowski, Katarzyna Kaszubska, Grażyna Biała, Marta Kruk-Słomka, Jacek Kurzepa, Anna Boguszewska-Czubara
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience August 2, 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00149 via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMDMA (ecstasy) and nicotine activate shared neuronal pathways. In male Swiss mice, a single injection of MDMA (1 mg/kg) or MDMA combined with nicotine (0.05 mg/kg) improved memory consolidation in a passive avoidance test. MDMA also increased locomotor activity in mice that had developed behavioral sensitization to nicotine. The study reports for the first time strong behavioral and biochemical interactions between the two drugs, including effects on oxidative stress and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These findings may help explain why people often co-use MDMA and nicotine.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male Swiss mice |
| Interventions | MDMA nicotine |
| Dose | 0.05 mg/kg nicotine, 1 mg/kg MDMA |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Nicotine Memory Behavioral sensitization Oxidative stress |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key finding | MDMA alone or combined with nicotine improved memory consolidation, and MDMA increased locomotor activity in nicotine-sensitized mice. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine (MDMA), a synthetic substance commonly known as ecstasy, is a worldwide recreational drug of abuse. As MDMA and nicotine activate the same neuronal pathways, we examined the influence of co-administration of nicotine (0.05 mg/kg) and MDMA (1 mg/kg) on cognitive processes, nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization and on processes linked with oxidative stress and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) expression in the brain of male Swiss mice. For behavioral study the passive avoidance (PA) test and locomotor sensitization paradigm were used. Also, the oxidative stress parameters as well as expression levels of α7 nAChRs in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mice treated with MDMA alone or in combination with nicotine were assessed. The results revealed that MDMA injections as well as co-administrations of MDMA and nicotine improved memory consolidation in male Swiss mice tested in PA task. Furthermore, one of the main findings of the present study is that MDMA increased locomotor activity in nicotine-sensitized mice. Our study showed for the first time strong behavioral and biochemical interactions between nicotine and MDMA. Both drugs are very often used in combination, especially by young people, thus these results may help explaining why psychoactive substances are being co-abused and why this polydrug administration is still a social problem.