The monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor L-deprenyl protects against
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced lipid peroxidation and long-term
serotonergic deficits
by
Sprague JE, Nichols DE
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,
School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal
Sciences,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1995 May; 273(2): 667-73
ABSTRACT
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced serotonergic neurotoxicity
was assessed in the striatum, hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats by using
[3H]paroxetine binding to label serotonin (5-HT) uptake sites and 5-HT and
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels as markers of serotonergic function.
NMDA (40 mg/kg) induced a significant decrease in both [3H]paroxetine binding
Bmax and 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels 7 days after treatment. The monoamine oxidase-B
inhibitor L-deprenyl (2 mg/kg) administered 30 min before MDMA blocked these
decreases. MDMA (40 mg/kg) also maximally increased the formation of
thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (an indicator of lipid peroxidation) 12
hr after treatment in all three brain regions studied. This increase in
malondialdehyde formation was also blocked by pretreatment with L-deprenyl.
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity was also significantly reduced 18 hr after
MDMA. L-Deprenyl reversed this decrease in TPH activity. Another experiment
confirmed that a significant fraction of [3H]dopamine uptake into hippocampal
synaptosomes was blocked by 500 nM fluoxetine, a selective 5-HT uptake
inhibitor. These data suggest that the deamination by monoamine oxidase-B of
excessive dopamine within the 5-HT terminal generates hydrogen peroxide that may
lead to membrane lipid peroxidation, and perhaps other oxidative insults,
resulting in selective 5-HT terminal degeneration subsequent to MDMA treatment.
MAO
MDMA
Serotonin
Dopamine
L-Deprenyl
Entactogens
Empathogens
Candyflipping
Ecstasy and Fluoxetine
Tryptophan Hydroxylase
Ecstasy, Dopamine and Serotonin

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