The Cardiovascular and Cardiac Actions of Ecstasy and its Metabolites

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Shenouda, SK (Author) Other; Carvalho, F (Author) FFUP; Varner, KJ (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Vol. 11

Pages: 470-475

ISSN: 1389-2010

Publisher: Bentham Science

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 19 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-46X

DOI: 10.2174/138920110791591526

Abstract (EN): The recreational use of 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine ( ecstasy or MDMA) has increased dramatically over the past thirty years due to its ability to increase stamina and produce feelings of emotional closeness and wellbeing. In spite of the popular perception that MDMA is a safe drug, there is a large literature documenting that the drug can produce significant neurotoxicity, especially in serotonergic and catecholaminergic systems. There are also experimental and clinical data which document that MDMA can alter cardiovascular function and produce cardiac toxicity, including rhythm disturbances, infarction and sudden death. This manuscript will review the literature documenting the cardiovascular responses elicited by MDMA in humans and experimental animals and will examine the underlying mechanisms mediating these responses. We will also review the available clinical, autopsy and experimental data linking MDMA with cardiac toxicity. Most available data indicate that oxidative stress plays an important role in the cardiotoxic actions of MDMA. Moreover, new data indicates that redox active metabolites of MDMA may play especially important roles in MDMA induced toxicity.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6