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Synergistic effects of MDMA and ethanol on behavior: Possible effects of ethanol on dopamine D 2 ‐receptor‐related signaling
Author(s) -
Mori Tomohisa,
Iwase Yoshiyuki,
Uzawa Naoki,
Takahashi Yui,
Mochizuki Ayano,
Fukase Mika,
Shibasaki Masahiro,
Suzuki Tsutomu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/adb.13000
Subject(s) - mdma , nucleus accumbens , pharmacology , dopamine , haloperidol , dopamine receptor , chemistry , dopamine receptor d2 , agonist , apomorphine , psychology , receptor , neuroscience , dopaminergic , medicine , biochemistry
Polydrug abuse is common among drug abusers. In particular, psychostimulants are often taken with ethanol, and the combination of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and alcohol is one of the most common forms of polydrug abuse. However, the mechanism by which these drugs influence behavior remains unclear. The present study was designed to delineate the mechanisms that underlie the effects of the interaction between MDMA and ethanol on behavior in rodents. The combination of MDMA with ethanol enhanced their locomotor‐increasing, rewarding, and discriminative stimulus effects without enhancing their effects on the release of dopamine from the nucleus accumbens in rodents. In addition, ethanol potently enhanced locomotor activity produced by the dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine in mice. In antagonism tests, the dopamine D 1 ‐receptor antagonist SCH23390, but not the D 2 ‐receptor antagonist haloperidol, completely suppressed hyperlocomotion induced by MDMA. However, hyperlocomotion induced by the co‐administration of MDMA and ethanol was potently suppressed by haloperidol. These results suggest that the synergistic effects of MDMA and ethanol are mediated through dopamine transmission, especially through postsynaptical regulation of D 2 ‐receptor‐mediated functions.