TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurotoxicity mechanisms of thioether ecstasy metabolites
AU - Branco, Paula Cristina de Sério
AU - Ferreira, Luísa Maria da Silva Pinto
AU - Lobo, Ana Maria Félix Trindade
PY - 2007/1/1
Y1 - 2007/1/1
N2 - 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"), is a widely abused, psychoactive recreational drug that is known to induce neurotoxic effects. Human and rat hepatic metabolism of MDMA involves N-demethylation to 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), which is also a drug of abuse. MDMA and MDA are O-demethylenated to N-methyla-methyidopamine (N-Me-alpha-MeDA) and alpha-methyidopamine (alpha-MeDA), respectively, which are both catechols that can undergo oxidation to the corresponding ortho-quinones. Ortho-quinones may be conjugated with glutathione (GSH) to form glutathionyl adducts, which can be transported into the brain and metabolized to the correspondent N-acetylcysteine (NAC) adducts. In this study we evaluated the neurotoxicity of nine MDMA metabolites, obtained by synthesis: N-Me-alpha-MeDA, a-MeDA and their correspondent GSH and NAC adducts. The studies were conducted in rat cortical neuronal cultures, for a 6 h of exposure period, under normal (36.5 degrees C) and hyperthermic (40 degrees C) conditions. Our findings show that thioether MDMA metabolites are strong neurotoxins, significantly more than their correspondent parent catechols. On the other hand, N-Me-a-MeDA and a-MeDA are more neurotoxic than MDMA. GSH and NAC conjugates of N-Me-alpha-MeDA and alpha-MeDA induced a concentration dependent delayed neuronal death, accompanied by activation of caspase 3, which occurred earlier in hyperthermic conditions. Furthermore, thioether MDMA metabolites time-dependently increased the production of reactive species, concentration-dependently depleted intracellular GSH and increased protein bound quinones. Finally, thioether MDMA metabolites induced neuronal death and oxidative stress was prevented by NAC, an antioxidant and GSH precursor. This study provides new insights into the neurotoxicity mechanisms of thioether MDMA metabolites and highlights their importance in "ecstasy" neurotoxicity. (C) 2007 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"), is a widely abused, psychoactive recreational drug that is known to induce neurotoxic effects. Human and rat hepatic metabolism of MDMA involves N-demethylation to 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), which is also a drug of abuse. MDMA and MDA are O-demethylenated to N-methyla-methyidopamine (N-Me-alpha-MeDA) and alpha-methyidopamine (alpha-MeDA), respectively, which are both catechols that can undergo oxidation to the corresponding ortho-quinones. Ortho-quinones may be conjugated with glutathione (GSH) to form glutathionyl adducts, which can be transported into the brain and metabolized to the correspondent N-acetylcysteine (NAC) adducts. In this study we evaluated the neurotoxicity of nine MDMA metabolites, obtained by synthesis: N-Me-alpha-MeDA, a-MeDA and their correspondent GSH and NAC adducts. The studies were conducted in rat cortical neuronal cultures, for a 6 h of exposure period, under normal (36.5 degrees C) and hyperthermic (40 degrees C) conditions. Our findings show that thioether MDMA metabolites are strong neurotoxins, significantly more than their correspondent parent catechols. On the other hand, N-Me-a-MeDA and a-MeDA are more neurotoxic than MDMA. GSH and NAC conjugates of N-Me-alpha-MeDA and alpha-MeDA induced a concentration dependent delayed neuronal death, accompanied by activation of caspase 3, which occurred earlier in hyperthermic conditions. Furthermore, thioether MDMA metabolites time-dependently increased the production of reactive species, concentration-dependently depleted intracellular GSH and increased protein bound quinones. Finally, thioether MDMA metabolites induced neuronal death and oxidative stress was prevented by NAC, an antioxidant and GSH precursor. This study provides new insights into the neurotoxicity mechanisms of thioether MDMA metabolites and highlights their importance in "ecstasy" neurotoxicity. (C) 2007 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.03.028
DO - 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.03.028
M3 - Article
SN - 0306-4522
VL - 146
SP - 1743
EP - 1757
JO - Neuroscience
JF - Neuroscience
IS - 4
ER -