Actions of MDMA at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions

G. M. Sparks; S. Dasari; R. L. Cooper

doi:10.1016/j.neures.2003.12.007

Actions of MDMA at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions

G. M. Sparks, S. Dasari, R. L. Cooper

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	431-438
Number of pages	8
Journal	Neuroscience Research
Volume	48
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2003.12.007
State	Published - Apr 2004

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding was provided by NSF-IBN-0131459 (RLC), a G. Ribble Fellowship in graduate studies at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky (SD), a G. Ribble Fellowship for undergraduate studies in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky (GMS) and a Undergraduate Research Scholarship awarded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (GMS).

Keywords

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
5-HT
5-hydroxytryptamine
DA
Dopamine
EPSP
Excitatory post-synaptic potential
Field excitatory post-synaptic potential
Field miniature excitatory post-synaptic potential
MDMA
Mean quantal content
NE
fEPSP
fmEPSP
m

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.neures.2003.12.007

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title = "Actions of MDMA at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions",

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.",

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author = "Sparks, {G. M.} and S. Dasari and Cooper, {R. L.}",

note = "Funding Information: Funding was provided by NSF-IBN-0131459 (RLC), a G. Ribble Fellowship in graduate studies at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky (SD), a G. Ribble Fellowship for undergraduate studies in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky (GMS) and a Undergraduate Research Scholarship awarded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation (GMS). ",

year = "2004",

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language = "English",

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AU - Dasari, S.

AU - Cooper, R. L.

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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Actions of MDMA at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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