It has been reported that cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) peptides can increase locomotor activity and produce a conditioned place preference. To establish whether or not Cart can be consider as a valuable marker of addiction we performed a comparative study of the expression of Cart and Fos genes by several drugs of abuse. This was achieved using real-time quantitative poly...

The psychoactive agent N-methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine (MBDB) was identified in urine samples from ten people suspected of petty drug offences. MBDB is a selective serotonin-releasing agent and the alpha-ethyl homologue of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The presence of MBDB was confirmed by comparing the mass spectra of the urine samples with the mass spectrum of ...

BACKGROUND 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy), a compound chemically related to stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs, has been found to induce a state of euphoria and increased self-awareness. MDMA has been increasingly used for recreational purposes, especially among college students and other young adults, and has been associated with multiple toxic effects. METHODS Using MEDLI...

Amphetamine derivatives, such as methamphetamine (METH) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), act as monoaminergic neurotoxins in the central nervous system. Although there are slight differences in their mechanism of action, these compounds share a final common pathway, which involves dopamine release and oxidative stress. Apart from striatal toxicity involving monoamine axons, no prev...

INTRODUCTION Exposure to 3-4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) leads to cell death. Herein, we studied the protective effects of ginger on MDMA- induced apoptosis. METHODS 15 Sprague dawley male rats were administrated with 0, 10 mg/kg MDMA, or MDMA along with 100mg/kg ginger, IP for 7 days. Brains were removed to study the caspase 3, 8, and 9 expressions in the hippocampus by RT-PCR. Dat...

Cross-reactivity with Diagnostic Products Corporation (DPC) amphetamine and methamphetamine radioimmunoassay (RIA) reagents was determined for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and a number of amphetamine analogs. Concentrations from 100 to 100,000 ng/mL were assayed. 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) showed significant cross-reactivity for the ampheta...

Both acute and chronic exposure to 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is associated with impairments in a range of conditional discrimination tasks that reflect memory function, decision making and self-control [1-3]. However, the mechanism by which MDMA decreases performance in these tasks is not clear. One interpretation of such findings has been that overall stimulus control is impair...

The ‘‘psychedelic renaissance’’ is generating new evidence for psychedelics’ potential to treat numerous mental and substance use disorders. In particular, the United States Food Drug Administration poised approve psychedelic drugs 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) psilocybin in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). This renaissance has led substantial public attention toward psychedelics,...