Sparks G M, Dasari S, Cooper R L
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA.
Neurosci Res. 2004 Apr;48(4):431-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2003.12.007.
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.
3,4-亚甲基二氧甲基苯丙胺（摇头丸，MDMA）促使哺乳动物血清素能神经元释放血清素（5-HT）。在本研究中，MDMA通过增强两个模型谷氨酸能突触中的量子释放，在突触前改变了突触传递——小龙虾开肌的神经肌肉接头（NMJ），外源性5-HT的应用可增强该接头；以及黑腹果蝇幼虫体壁肌肉的NMJ，该接头对外源性5-HT的应用不敏感。在小龙虾的神经肌肉接头处，MDMA模拟了5-HT的作用，但浓度要高得多。在果蝇的神经肌肉接头处，MDMA改变了突触传递，但不是通过5-HT受体。通过简单的无脊椎动物制剂，我们证明了MDMA活性的另一种非血清素能机制，这种机制在脊椎动物系统中尚未得到探讨，可能在理解一种常用滥用药物的作用机制中发挥重要作用。
