Chronic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine treatment suppresses cell proliferation in the adult mouse dentate gyrus

We investigated the influence of chronic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) treatment on cell proliferation in the adult dentate gyrus. Mice were orally treated with MDMA (1.25 mg/kg–40 mg/kg) or saline for 30 days. To label dividing cells, mice were given 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) for 4 days from the day after the last administration of MDMA, and their brains were examined 24 h later. MDMA dose-dependently induced a decrease in the number of BrdU-positive cells in the male and female dentate gyrus. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to MDMA suppresses cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus.