RESUMO
Background and Aims: ecstasy or 3-4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA] is a brain stimulant and a hallucinogenic material prepared by chemical changes in amphetamine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes induced by this drug in mouse cardiac histopathology, electrocardiogram [ECG] and blood cell counts
Materials and Methods: in this experiment, 3 groups [n=10] of mice were enrolled. Group 1, as control, received placebo. Group 2 mice were given single daily low dose [20 mg/kg/d for 28 days] of intraperitoneal MDMA, and group 3 were given single daily high dose [40 mg/kg/d for 28 days] of intraperitoneal MDMA. An AVF lead ECG record was obtained, a blood sample was taken for complete blood counts, and the heart was removed for microscopic study of tissue sections with routine staining
Results: the group 3 showed significant decrease in erythrocyte indices, myocarditis in 7 cases and monocyte infiltration around cardiac myocytes in 6 cases. In group 2, lower degree of myocardial injury was observed, but significant increase in QT and QTc durations was observed in ECG. In high dose group, red blood count, hematocrit, mean cell volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration showed significant changes in comparison with the control group
Conclusion: ecstasy can affect red blood cell index and lead to anemia. Many monocytes may be seen around cardiac cells, and increased ventricular depolarization and repolarization can lead to increase in QRS-QT interval. Combination of myocarditis, arrhythmia and sinus tachycardia reflect change in cardiac function and myocardial structure. Cardiac injury due to hypoxia and ischemia may cause myocardial infarction
RESUMO
Ecstasy drug abuse is relatively common among the youth undergoing psychosocial stresses. Categorized as a stimulant drug, ecstasy has nervous, cardiac and immunological side-effects. The endocrine system is not spared from the harmful effects of the drug and it could influence ovulation by exerting its effects on the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ecstasy on the quality of oocytes and on fertilization rate in mice. Thirty female NMRI mice were divided into three groups, after checking for their estrous cycles. At the beginning of each cycle, ecstasy was administered intraperitoneally to the animals in groups A [a minimum dose of 5 mg/kg/day] and B [a maximum dose of 20 mg/kg/day]. At the end of the second day, 10 IU PMSG, and at the end of the 4th day, 10 IU HCG were administered intra-peritoneally. The mice in group C underwent the same procedures except receiving ecstasy. All the mice were sacrificed on the fifth day to aspirate their oocytes for further evaluation. In-vitro fertilization was done using mature or MII oocytes and fertilization was checked after 5 hours. The results were later statistically analyzed. The number of retrieved oocytes was similar between the experimental and control groups. However, the rate of mature oocytes [MII] was significantly higher [p=0.0001] in the controls [31.2%] than the mice in groups A [15.2%] and B [12.8%]. Moreover, fertilization rate was significantly higher in the controls than the experi-mental groups. Administration of Ecstasy in mice can affect both oocyte maturity and the fertilization potential of oocytes. The overall effects of ecstasy on embryo development and implantation needs further studies to reach a definitive conclusion