Skip to content

Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2002

3 results

The effect of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') and its metabolites on neurohypophysial hormone release from the isolated rat hypothalamus.

Forsling ML, Fallon JK, Shah D, Tilbrook GS, Cowan DA, Kicman AT, Hutt AJ

British journal of pharmacology1 Feb 2002Cited by 65 (Europe PMC)

PMID11834612 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC1573171 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/sj.bjp.0704502 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-11834612
Source linkPubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 3 results

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study3

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured3

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 01LabEndogenous levelEx vivo tissueMechanism

    In isolated rat hypothalami, HMMA at 10 nM increased basal oxytocin release (test:control ratio 1.0 to 1.6).

    In plain wordsIn lab tests on rat brain tissue, a breakdown product of ecstasy raised release of the body's own oxytocin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseOxytocin release (basal) with HMMA
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Isolated hypothalamus
    Outcome group
    Endogenous peptide levels · Endocrine and hormones

    Measurements

    Basal oxytocin release ratio test:control
    1.6 ratio
    HMMA 10 nM

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In the presence of HMMA the ratio test:control for basal release increased for vasopressin from 1.1+/-0.16 to 2.7+/-0.44 (s.e.m., P<0.05) at 10 nM and for oxytocin from 1.0+/-0.05 to 1.6+/-0.12 in the same hypothalami.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Release of both oxytocin and vasopressin from isolated hypothalami obtained from male Wistar rats was determined under basal conditions and following potassium (40 mM) stimulation.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  2. 02LabEndogenous levelEx vivo tissueMechanism

    In isolated rat hypothalami, MDMA at 10 nM increased the ratio of oxytocin release to control to 1.28.

    In plain wordsIn lab tests on rat brain tissue, ecstasy (MDMA) raised release of the body's own oxytocin.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseOxytocin release (basal) with MDMA
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Isolated hypothalamus
    Outcome group
    Endogenous peptide levels · Endocrine and hormones

    Measurements

    Oxytocin release ratio test:control
    1.28 ratio
    MDMA 10 nM

    Source sentences

    Summary
    For MDMA the ratio increased to 1.5+/-0.27 for vasopressin and to 1.28+/-0.04 for oxytocin for 10 nM.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Release of both oxytocin and vasopressin from isolated hypothalami obtained from male Wistar rats was determined under basal conditions and following potassium (40 mM) stimulation.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  3. 03LabEndogenous levelEx vivo tissueMechanism

    In isolated rat hypothalami, MDMA and its metabolites stimulated oxytocin release in a dose-dependent way, with HMMA the most potent.

    In plain wordsIn lab tests on rat brain tissue, ecstasy and its breakdown products raised release of the body's own oxytocin, more with higher doses.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseOxytocin release with MDMA and metabolites, dose dependence
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Isolated hypothalamus
    Outcome group
    Endogenous peptide levels · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MDMA and its metabolites can stimulate both oxytocin and vasopressin release in vitro, the response being dose dependent for each drug with HMMA being the most potent.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    All compounds tested affected neurohypophysial hormone release, HMMA (4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine) and DHA (3,4-dihydroxyamphetamine) being more active than MDMA, and DHMA (3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine) being the least active.
    Summary · context
    Release of both oxytocin and vasopressin from isolated hypothalami obtained from male Wistar rats was determined under basal conditions and following potassium (40 mM) stimulation.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 20:03 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:51 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.