Article
Actions of MDMA at Glutamatergic Neuromuscular Junctions
Neuroscience Research
(2004)
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”) compels mammalian serotonergic neurons to release serotonin (5-HT). In this study, MDMA altered synaptic transmission presynaptically by enhancing quantal release in two model glutamatergic synapses—the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of the crayfish opener muscle, which is enhanced by exogenous 5-HT application, and the NMJ of a larval body wall muscle in Drosophila melanogaster, which is insensitive to exogenous 5-HT application. At the crayfish NMJ, MDMA mimicked the actions of 5-HT but only at a substantially higher concentration. At the Drosophila NMJ, MDMA altered synaptic transmission but not through a 5-HT receptor.
Using simple invertebrate preparations, we have demonstrated an additional non-serotonergic mechanism of MDMA activity that has not yet been addressed in vertebrate systems and that may play an important role in understanding the mechanism of action for a commonly abused drug.
Keywords
- MDMA,
- Serotonin,
- Neuromodulation,
- Synapse,
- Crayfish,
- Presynaptic,
- Drosophila
Disciplines
Publication Date
April, 2004
Citation Information
G. M. Sparks, S. Dasari and Robin L Cooper. "Actions of MDMA at Glutamatergic Neuromuscular Junctions" Neuroscience Research Vol. 48 Iss. 4 (2004) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robin_cooper/39/