| Effect of Medium-Term Injection of MDMA on the Anxiety of Male Rat with plus Maze Test | 
								
								  | M Jahanshahi, *    ,  O Nikmahzar    ,  M Khosravi    ,  F Seid Hosseini    | 
								
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								  | Abstract:       (8643 Views) | 
								
								  | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acute administration of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is produced dose-dependent effects on anxiety-related behaviors. High doses of MDMA have anxiolytic effects and low doses of MDMA increases anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze test. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sub-chronic (7 days) effects of low doses of MDMA on anxiety in the male rat. METHODS: In the present experimental study, 28 male Wistar rats were used with approximate weight 20 ± 200 g. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups, 7 rats were used in each group and experimental groups for a week received different doses of MDMA (1.25, 2.5, 5 mg/kg) and sham group (1 ml/kg), received saline peritoneally. Anxiety one day before injection and 30 minutes after the last injection was performed by the elevated plus maze.
 FINDINGS: Injection of MDMA significantly increased open arm time percentage that the highest observed in the experimental group received a dose of 5 mg/kg with mean 29.77±33.337. With increasing dose of MDMA increased open arm entry percentage that the difference between experimental group received a dose of 2.5 mg/kg and saline group was statistically significant (p<0.05). MDMA decreased pure index of locomotor activity. MDMA decreased open arm latency that the experimental group received a dose of 2.5 mg/kg less delay in entering the open arm compared to the other experimental groups, averaging 70.83±114.188 showed.
 CONCLUSION: Low doses of MDMA in sub-chronic (7 day) period can reduce some indices of anxiety in the rats.
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								  | Keywords:  Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, Anxiety, Elevated plus maze, Rat | 
								
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								  | Full-Text  [PDF 161 kb] 
                                    
                                     
                                     
                                    
									  
                                       (2637 Downloads) | 
								
								  | Type of Study:  Research |
                                  Subject: 
                                  Biochemical Accepted: 2014/06/7 | Published: 2014/06/7
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