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Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine on 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in male Sprague–Dawley rats

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An Erratum to this article was published on 29 May 2014

Abstract

Exposure to 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) leads to spatial memory impairment and hippocampal cell death. In the present study we have examined the protective effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. A total of 56 male Sprague Dawley rats (200–250 g) received twice daily intraperitoneal (IP) injections of 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg MDMA plus NAC (100 mg/kg). Rectal temperatures were recorded before and after daily treatment. We used a Morris water maze (MWM) to assess spatial learning and memory. At the end of the study rats’ brains were removed, cells were counted and the level of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 expression in the hippocampi were measured. NAC pretreatment significantly reduced MDMA-induced hyperthermia. In the MWM, NAC significantly attenuated the MDMA-induced increase in distance traveled; however the observed increase in escape latency was not significant. The decrease in time spent in the target quadrant in MDMA animals was significantly attenuated (p < 0.001, all groups). NAC protected against MDMA-induced cell death and the up -regulation of Bax and Caspase-3, in addition to the down-regulation of Bcl-2. This data suggested a possible benefit of NAC in the treatment of neurotoxicity among those who use MDMA.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, No. P/664.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors of this paper have a financial interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Sara Soleimani Asl

  2. Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Sara Soleimani Asl

  3. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Kazem Mousavizedeh, Mansoureh Soleimani & Mehdi Mehdizadeh

  4. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Bagher Pourheydar

  5. Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mansoureh Soleimani & Mehdi Mehdizadeh

  6. Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

    Elnaz Rahbar

  7. Neurophysiology Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Bagher Pourheydar

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  1. Sara Soleimani Asl
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  2. Kazem Mousavizedeh
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Correspondence to Mehdi Mehdizadeh.

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Soleimani Asl, S., Mousavizedeh, K., Pourheydar, B. et al. Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine on 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Metab Brain Dis 28, 677–686 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-013-9423-1

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