MDMA and mouse embryonic stem cells

A study done by Meamar, Karamali, Mousavi, Baharvand, and Nasr-Esfahani observes the effects that ecstasy, or MDMA has on mouse embryonic stem cells and the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5).  mGlu5 is involved in the maintenance and self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells, and the study focuses on the influence of MDMA on self-renewal and stemness characteristics. 

MDMA induces a rapid release of dopamine, which further induces a release of glutamate, which then binds to mGlu5.  Differentiation of embryonic stem cells decreases the expression of mGlu5.  Stem cells were cultured and treated with retinoic acid to achieve neural differentiation.  More stem cells were cultured in the presence of MDMA and 2-methyl-6 (phenylethynyl) pyridine (MPEP), which is a selective mGlu5 antagonist, and other stem cells were cultured and treated with MDMA during differentiation or after differentiation.  Each group was compared to an untreated control group.  Both groups were assessed for activity of caspase, which plays a role in cell apoptosis, or programmed cell death.  Presence of mGlu5 was first confirmed in the mouse embryonic stem cells.  It was found that when treated with retinoic acid, mGlu5 expression was increased.  A group of stem cells treated with 100 micro-Molar MDMA had significantly decreased expression of mGlu5 compared to both the control group and to a group treated with 10 micro-Molar MDMA.  Treatment of MDMA after cell differentiation had no effect on mGlu5 expression. 

The results show that during neural precursor formation and differentiation, MDMA causes a decrease in mGlu5 expression, but treatment with MDMA during neural differentiation does not have an effect on the expression of the receptor.  The study concludes that MDMA maintains stemness characteristics, or the ability of stem cells to differentiate into specialized cells. 

Meamar, Rokhsareh, M.D, Ph.D, Fereshte Karamali, M.Sc., Seyed A. Mousavi, M.D., Hossein Baharvand, Ph.D., and Mohammad H. Nasr-Esfahani, Ph.D. "Could MDMA Promote Stemness Characteristics in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells via MGlu5 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors?" Cell Journal, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 16 June 2013.