3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and naloxone in rat rotational behaviour and open field.

Abstract

It has recently been shown that 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has an anti-parkinsonian effect in rodent models of Parkinson's disease. The mechanism of this anti-parkinsonian action is unknown. Opioids have been suggested to play a role in MDMA-induced behaviour. We therefore investigated MDMA and naloxone in the rat rotational behavioural model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were lesioned unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine at the medial forebrain bundle. Administration of R/S-MDMA (5 mg/kg, s.c.) produced ipsilateral rotations. Naloxone (2, 5, 10 mg/kg, s.c.) did not produce rotations on its own but reduced the number of MDMA-induced ipsilateral rotations. This effect was not dose-dependent. In contrast to reports on mice, in unlesioned animals, naloxone (10 mg/kg, s.c.) did not block MDMA (5 mg/kg, s.c.)-induced hyperactivity in an open field in our experiment. It is concluded that endogenous opioids play a role in MDMA's action in the rat rotational behavioural model.

• Authors: Heike B Lebsanft, Karl-Artur Kovar, Werner J Schmidt
• Journal: European journal of pharmacology (Eur J Pharmacol) Vol. 516 Issue 1 Pg. 34-9 (May 23 2005) ISSN: 0014-2999 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 15899478 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Hallucinogens
• Narcotic Antagonists
• Naloxone
• N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine

Topics

• Analysis of Variance
• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Hallucinogens (pharmacology)
• Male
• Motor Activity (drug effects)
• N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (pharmacology)
• Naloxone (pharmacology)
• Narcotic Antagonists (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Time Factors