Serotonin and Ecstasy

bumper · 02-12-2005 2:47pm #1

I am doing some research on how MDMA (ecstasy) effects serotonin levels in the body abd whil I know in theory how it works I am unable to find out how exactly how, what it binds too etc. If anyone has any info on this can they let me know please?

GuanYin · 02-12-2005 4:24pm

There are a few molecular sites of action of MDMA on the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) pathway. It binds to 3 monoamine presynaptic transporters. The one it binds to with the highest affinity is the 5-HT transporter it also binds to the 5-HT2, α2-adrenergic, M1 muscarinic and H1 receptors, it has low affinity binding for M2 muscarinic α1- and β-adrenergic and 5-HT1 receptors.

This leads to an increasein extracellular 5-HT and also inhibitory action of 5-HT re-uptake into the presynaptic terminals. It also inhibits MAO.

Combined this leads to a decrease in 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid from the brain. The duration of this effect is concentration dependant.

Ecstacy also blocks the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of 5-HT) within 15 min of administration, an effect that can last for up to two weeks.

Elliott and Beveridge 2005
Morton 2005

John · 02-12-2005 4:56pm

Some extra info for you.

Ecstasy also causes damage to the serotonin receptors in the brain. They did a study with monkeys where they gave them ecstasy. They found that a huge amount of serotonin receptors were destroyed and they didn't come back at all, even when they checked seven years later. Can't remember who did it but it's a well-referenced paper so you should be able to find it online.

Also have a google for serotonin syndrome, ecstasy and depression, ecstasy and eating disorders and ecstasy as a diet pill. All of it is serotonin mediated.

Capt'n Midnight · 02-12-2005 5:26pm

I doubt it's relevant but people who indulge in Ecstasy might possibly get less sunlight exposure than average and may be more prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). No idea where you'd get seasonal stats to see if the effect on serotonin levels would be non-negligable.

garthv · 02-12-2005 5:28pm

www.erowid.com
All you need to know
Also google for Alexander Shulgin, he created the drug.

John · 02-12-2005 5:33pm

GaRtH_V wrote:

Also google for Alexander Shulgin, he created the drug.

No he didn't, he resynthesised it and brought back from obscurity. As far as I recall it was made by Bayer in Germany sometime around WW1. It was tested as a diet pill and Shulgin discovered that it worked very well as a recreational drug.

John · 03-12-2005 1:47am

I'm sure they felt on top of the world at the time

John · 03-12-2005 2:33am

Monkey lover

ronbyrne2005 · 05-12-2005 7:00am

i've seen those studies on monkeys but there are also studies on humans where they did mri scans or PET scans on brains of those that used ecstacy a lot -more than 25 times and they did fnid changes in receptors but they follwed up the people a few years later and found that there had been at least a partial recovery in many

Ag marbh · 15-12-2005 11:54pm

I have consumed and studied MDMA in my own for the past 6 years.

Here is a good slideshow that shows the brain while under the influence of MDMA

http://www.dancesafe.org/slideshow/index.html

Also some really intelligent people and answer can be found on the dancesafe forum, check under ecstasy forums.

http://www.dancesafe.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0&C=4

Ag marbh · 15-12-2005 11:56pm

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

i've seen those studies on monkeys but there are also studies on humans where they did mri scans or PET scans on brains of those that used ecstacy a lot -more than 25 times and they did fnid changes in receptors but they follwed up the people a few years later and found that there had been at least a partial recovery in many

No tests have shown that someone won't make a full recovery from moderate MDMA use. They don't recomend using MDMA more than 4 times a year.

John · 16-12-2005 12:38am

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

they follwed up the people a few years later and found that there had been at least a partial recovery in many

There was a partial recovery in the monkeys too. However after 7 years it still was far from being anywhere near what it had been.

alantc · 16-12-2005 12:46am

I thought that research was declared invalid after it turned out to be a mix up with speed. (could be wrong but that certainly happened in some highly publicised ecstasy research)

John · 16-12-2005 1:06am

I hadn't heard that but you could well be right. However a quick search on pubmed throws up plenty of papers that implicate MDMA with decreases in serotonin signalling.

Serotonin and Ecstasy

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