Ethanol–ecstasy (MDMA) interactions in rats: Preserved attenuation of hyperthermia and potentiation of hyperactivity by ethanol despite prior ethanol treatment

Intermittent ethanol exposure increases long-lasting behavioral and neurochemical effects of MDMA in adolescent mice

“…Several studies have reported that EtOH decreases the hyperthermic response usually observed in rats following administration of MDMA Ben Hamida et al 2006. After four daily administrations of both drugs to rats, Cassel et al (2005) observed that ethanol inhibited MDMA-induced hyperthermia (on average −1.3°C) on the first day of treatment but not on subsequent treatment days, suggesting that this effect was subject to tolerance.…”

“…After four daily administrations of both drugs to rats, Cassel et al (2005) observed that ethanol inhibited MDMA-induced hyperthermia (on average −1.3°C) on the first day of treatment but not on subsequent treatment days, suggesting that this effect was subject to tolerance. However, tolerance to these interactions was not observed when a different schedule of drug administration (ethanol on four consecutive days prior to the first treatment with MDMAethanol) was employed (Ben Hamida et al 2006). In mice, contrasting evidence has been obtained, with some authors reporting similar effects (decrease of the hypothermic response) as in rats (Johnson et al 2004;Izco et al 2010) and others observing a more pronounced hyperthermic response (Pontes et al 2008).…”

Interactions between ethanol and cocaine, amphetamine, or MDMA in the rat: thermoregulatory and locomotor effects

“…The impetus of the present study was our previous findings on MDMA + EtOH interactions with respect to locomotor activity and thermoregulation (Ben Hamida et al 2006Cassel et al 2004Cassel et al , 2005. In rats, not necessarily in all other species (Easton and Marsden 2006), hyperactivity and hyperthermia are two acute manifestations of MDMA intoxication (Green et al 2003).…”

Interactions between 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Ethanol in Humans and Rodents

“…Ben Hamida et al [62,63] and Cassel et al [64][65][66] found that, in rats, EtOH potentiated the hyperlocomotion effect of MDMA and attenuated its hyperpyretic effects. Moreover, with intermittent administration of MDMA and EtOH, as is often seen in the recreational use of MDMA, there is dramatic sensitization to the locomotor effect of the combination [67] .…”