A study undertaken at the University of Navarra relates the neural damage provoked by Ecstasy with the ambient temperature at which it is consumedAugust 06, 2007There exists a direct relationship between the consumption of MDMA, or Ecstasy, at a high ambient temperature and an increase in the neural damage which this drug provokes. This was the conclusion of the research carried out by Beatriz Goñi at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra. These results form part of her doctoral dissertation, entitled "A Study of the Neurotoxicity Mechanism of 3.4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA or 'Ecstasy') after its Administration in Rats: New Responses to Old Questions." By means of this study, the researcher was able to relate for the first time the body temperature of the user with a higher metabolism of this substance. There are two factors which, when they co-occurcan produce malignant hyperthermia, a disorder which can sometimes be fatal. In order to come to this conclusion, the Pamplonan pharmaceutical specialist administered the drug to rats at ambient temperatures of 15, 21 and 30 degrees centigrade. After performing the pertinent analyses, she demonstrated that metabolism of Ecstasy is accelerated by higher ambient temperatures at the time of administration. In addition, higher ambient temperatures also increase, in the same proportion, the neurochemical deficit that affects the brains of the users of this drug. Higher Risk in Closed Establishments According to Beatriz Goñi, the author of the study undertaken at the University of Navarra, the discoveries of this research project acquire more relevance precisely because Ecstasy is typically taken in closed environments, with lots of people and poor ventilation, due to which factors the temperature tends to be quite high. In addition, she notes that the neural damage provoked by this substance, and which originally was only observed in rats, has already been demonstrated in humans, who appear to suffer severe damage to the serotoninergenic neurons, which are involved in processes as basic as sleep, appetite and mood regulation. Finally, the pharmaceutical specialist noted that the damage caused by the consumption of MDMA is dependent upon its being metabolized after to its ingestion, since if it were administered directly to the brain, neuronal damage would not occur. Elhuyar Fundazioa |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Ecstasy Current Events and Ecstasy News Articles Local health investigation sheds light on gastroschisis birth defect Results of an investigation conducted by University of Nevada, Reno researchers, public health officials and area physicians published this week in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, indicate that Washoe County experienced a cluster of a particular birth defect, gastroschisis, during the period April 2007 - April 2008. Wastewater used to map illicit drug use A team of researchers has mapped patterns of illicit drug use across the state of Oregon using a method of sampling municipal wastewater before it is treated. Knock-out drugs: Narrow window for detection Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. The Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006. Ecstasy could help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder Ecstasy may help suffers of post-traumatic stress learn to deal with their memories more effectively by encouraging a feeling of safety, according to an article in the Journal of Psychopharmacology published today by SAGE. Young people are intentionally taking drink and drugs for better sex Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. Findings published today in BioMed Central's open access journal, BMC Public Health, reveal that a third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex. Club drugs inflict damage similar to traumatic brain injury What do suffering a traumatic brain injury and using club drugs have in common"? University of Florida researchers say both may trigger a similar chemical chain reaction in the brain, leading to cell death, memory loss and potentially irreversible brain damage. Recreational cocaine use may impair inhibitory control The recreational use of cocaine has rapidly increased in many European countries over the past few years. World's smallest radio uses single nanotube to pick up good vibrations Physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, have built the smallest radio yet - a single carbon nanotube one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair that requires only a battery and earphones to tune in to your favorite station. Breaking up may not be as hard as the song says The devastation caused by a broken heart has been a dominant theme throughout the ages of great literature and pop culture alike. Leading toxicologist warns against new drug of abuse Professor Alison Jones said benzylpiperazine was a "new drug of abuse" which could have serious clinical effects - similar to those of ecstasy to which it is structurally related. More Ecstasy Current Events and Ecstasy News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||