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No more ecstasy for mice!
[mis à jour le 4 April 2008 à 11h16]
A team at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) has just identified a brain receptor (5-HT2B) that appears to lie behind the psychostimulant effects of ecstasy. More interesting still, the researchers managed to block this receptor in mice, thus eliminating the effects of the drug.
This study, led by Luc Maroteaux at INSERM’s 839 Unit (also known as the “Institut du fer à moulin”) could open new horizons for therapy. “It seems that the substances capable of blocking the 5-HT2B receptor may be able to be used as treatment for the immediate and long-term effects of the active substance in ecstasy”, states Maroteaux.
Taking ecstasy is said to promote social intercourse and communication. Not forgetting of course that it produces a sensation of well-being and euphoria. However, these effects rapidly fade and are replaced by habituation and dependency. Some studies have also shown that regular consumption of this psychostimulant can lead to degenerative diseases and/or depression. And it’s worth remembering that according to the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OTDF), in 2005, 4.2% of boys and 2.8% of girls aged 17 had already tried ecstasy.
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8 article(s)
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