Abstract
The two major metabolites of (±)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), alpha-methyldopamine (α-MeDA) and 3-O-methyl-α-methyldopamine (3-O-Me-α-MeDA), were administered to rats intracerebroventricularly and into brain parenchyma. In addition, their precursors, (α-MeDOPA and 3-O-Me-α-MeDOPA, respectively) were administered systemically, individually and in combination. None of these treatments produced a lasting depletion of brain serotonin (5-HT). These findings suggest that neither of MDA's major metabolites mediate its toxic effects on 5-HT neurons and that either a minor metabolite is responsible or that alternate mechanisms are involved.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 279-282 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Brain research |
| Volume | 545 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 5 1991 |
Keywords
- Amphetamine
- Methylenedioxyamphetamine
- Neurotoxicity
- Serotonin
- α-Methyl-DOPA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology