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St Omer VEV, Ali SF, Holson RR, Duhart HM, Scalzo FM, Slikker W Jr.
“Behavioral and neurochemical effects of prenatal methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) exposure in rats”.
Neurotoxicol Teratol. 1991;13(1):13-20.
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Abstract
MDMA is a hallucinogenic drug that is used by the general public as a recreational drug of abuse. The neurobehav-1. 72: ioral consequences of prenatal MDMA exposure are unknown. Groups of 1/regnantrats were gavaged with 0, 2.5, or 10 rog/kg MDMA during gestation on alternate gestational days 6--18. Gestational duration, litter size, neonatal birth weights and physical ap-e sur- pearance at birth were unaffected by MDMA treatments. Pregnancy weight gain was significantly reduced by MI)MA treatment. preg- Progeny growth, maturational parameters (eye opening and incisor eruption times), surface fighting reflex, swimming performance, forelimb grip strength, milk-induced behaviors, passive avoidance behavior, figure-8 maze activity over 48 hours, the density of preg- brain serotonin (5-HT) uptake sites, and brain 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacefic acid (5-HIAA) levels were unaffected by MDMA h'eatments. Olfactory discrimination on postnatal days (PND) 9-11 was enhanced in both male and female MDMA-treated progeny, temal while negative geotaxis (PND 7-10) was delayed in female pups. In contrast to progeny, MDMA caused dose-dependent decreases ldren, in 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels in discrete brain areas of the dam. It is concluded that prenatal exposure to MDMA at the levels used dogy; here produces only subtle behavioral alterations in developing rats. The dam is more at risk for MDMA-induced 5-HT depletion than is the conceptus.
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