Analysis of ecstasy (MDMA)-induced transcription

3，4-亚甲二氧基甲基苯丙胺（MDMA，摇头丸）是一种流行的滥用药物。MDMA由于其与传统的致幻剂和兴奋剂的亲和力而被归类为内毒素。口服单剂量的药物与人类的欣快、自信心提高和感官意识增强有关。已经提供了人类血清素（5-HT）系统神经毒性的证据。在大鼠中，单次注射MDMA可诱导体温过高和活性氧的形成。这些效应可能导致MDMA相关的长期5-HT耗竭，皮质对MDMA的生化效应非常敏感。有人认为，这些MDMA效应可能与该大脑区域的分子变化有关。为了验证这些想法，我们利用了cDNA阵列分析，它可以提供一个更全面的看法，分子变化继发于MDMA注射。我们的研究结果表明，MDMA调控的基因编码的蛋白质属于信号通路，转录调节，或异生物质代谢。我们的观察结果表明，皮质细胞通过调节可能导致大脑长期变化的几个基因的转录来响应MDMA的急性给药。

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a popular drug of abuse. MDMA is pharmacologically classified as an entactogen because of its affinities to classical hallucinogens and stimulants. Oral ingestion of a single dose of the drug is associated with euphoria, elevated self-confidence, and heightened sensory awareness in humans. Evidence for neurotoxicity in the human serotonin (5-HT) system has been provided. In rats, a single injection of MDMA induces hyperthermia and formation of reactive oxygen species. These effects may cause MDMA-associated, long-term 5-HT depletion, with the cortex being quite sensitive to the biochemical effects of MDMA. It has been suggested that these MDMA effects may be associated with molecular changes in this brain region. To test these ideas, we have made use of the cDNA array analysis, which can provide a more global view of the molecular changes secondary to MDMA injections. Our results show that the genes regulated by MDMA encode proteins that belong to signaling pathways, transcription regulators, or xenobiotic metabolism. Our observations indicate that cortical cells respond to the acute administration of MDMA by modulating transcription of several genes that might lead to long-term changes in the brain.