Background: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ââ?¬Å?ecstasyââ?¬Â) is a worldwide drug of abuse commonly\nused by adolescents. Most reports focus on MDMAââ?¬â?¢s neurotoxicity and use high doses in adult animals, meanwhile\nstudies in adolescents are scarce. We aimed to assess in rats the acute MDMA toxicity to the brain and peripheral\norgans using a binge dose scheme that tries to simulate human adolescent abuse.\nMethods: Adolescent rats (postnatal day 40) received three 5 mg/kg doses of MDMA (estimated equivalent to\ntwo/three pills in a 50 kg adolescent), intraperitoneally, every 2 h, while controls received saline. After 24 h animal\nsacrifice took place and collection of brain areas (cerebellum, hippocampus, frontal cortex and striatum) and\nperipheral organs (liver, heart and kidneys) occurred.\nResults: Significant hyperthermia was observed after the second and third MDMA doses, with mean increases of\n1 Ã?°C as it occurs in the human scenario. MDMA promoted ATP levels fall in the frontal cortex. No brain oxidative\nstress-related changes were observed after MDMA. MDMA-treated rat organs revealed significant histological\ntissue alterations including vascular congestion, but no signs of apoptosis or necrosis were found, which was\ncorroborated by the lack of changes in plasma biomarkers and tissue caspases. In peripheral organs, MDMA did not\naffect significantly protein carbonylation, glutathione, or ATP levels, but liver presented a higher vulnerability as\nMDMA promoted an increase in quinoprotein levels.\nConclusions: Adolescent rats exposed to a moderate MDMA dose, presented hyperthermia and acute tissue\ndamage to peripheral organs without signs of brain oxidative stress.
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