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How MDMA("Extasy")may enhance Sociability:Hypothesis

Claude de Contrecoeur Cyrano at beehive.twics.com
Sat May 4 01:55:47 EST 1996





How MDMA may enhance Sociability:An Hypothesis.
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MDMA(3,4 Methylenedioxymethylphenylisopropylamine) has been defined,together with 
another molecule(Gamma-OH)as being a representative of a novel class of psychotropic 
agents:the SOCIABILISERS.
Sociabilisers act by stimulating and enhancing natural sociability.
The sociabilising action of MDMA is,very probably, related to its indirect blockade of 
serotonin 
neurotransmission in a brain structure called the MEDIAN RAPHE NUCLEUS.When the Median 
Raphe Nucleus is inactivated then sociability,spontaneously,appears.In fact,both 
GAMMA-OH(gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and MDMA could act at a common site modulating 
oxytocinergic neurotransmission(Oxytocin is postulated to be of crucial importance in 
the expression of sociable states).The following hypothesis  could link the effects on 
sociability of these two molecules.Basically this hypothesis states that MDMA might be 
an
 indirect tyrosine hydroxylase activator(Gamma-OH is a direct tyrosine hydroxylase 
activator) by suppressing the action of serotonin at post-synaptic 5-HT-IA 
heteroreceptors,thus enhancing the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase in some 
unidentified locus normally controlled by the release of serotonin from the Median 
Raphe Nucleus.There is one molecule, called NAN-I9O ,which could help in evaluating 
this hypothesis.GAMMA-OH is a pure sociabiliser while MDMA and MDMA-mimetics are 
partial sociabilisers.At lo
w doses of MDMA the sociabilising action of this substance is masked by a 
pro-serotoninergic action as MDMA is,also, a serotonin releaser.This effect of MDMA 
produces a psychotropic action similar to the serotoninergic thymoanesthesisers such 
as fluvoxamine,citalopram,sertraline,etc.At higher dosage the sociabilising action of 
MDMA becomes manifest.Subjectively speaking 2.5gr of GAMMA-OH are equivalent to 2OOmgr 
of MDMA.Haloperidol Imgr does not block the sociabilising actions of Gamma-OH while it 
blocks
 the dopaminergic effects of a dose of 2OOmgr of Amineptine,a dopamine re-uptake 
blocker.Haloperidol might block the sociabilising effects of MDMA.This is not clear 
yet and should be studied.



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