Repeated use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine is associated with the resilience in mice after chronic social defeat stress: A role of gut-microbiota-brain axis

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the most widely used illicit compound worldwide, is the most attractive therapeutic drug for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent observational studies of US adults demonstrated that lifetime MDMA use was associated with lower risk of depression. Here, we examined whether repeated administration of MDMA can affect resilience versus susceptibility in mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). CSDS produced splenomegaly, anhedonia-like phenotype, and higher plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the saline-treated mice. In contrast, CSDS did not cause these changes in the MDMAtreated mice. Analysis of gut microbiome found several microbes altered between saline + CSDS group and MDMA + CSDS group. Untargeted metabolomics analysis showed that plasma levels of N-epsilon-methyl-L-lysine in the saline + CSDS group were significantly higher than those in the control and MDMA + CSDS groups. Interestingly, there were positive correlations between plasma IL-6 levels and the abundance of several microbes (or plasma N-epsilon-methyl-L-lysine) in the three groups. Furthermore, there were also positive correlations between the abundance of several microbes and N-epsilon-methyl-L-lysine in the three groups. In conclusion, these data suggest that repeated administration of MDMA might contribute to stress resilience in mice subjected to CSDS through gut-microbiota-brain axis.

Automated summary

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the most widely used illicit compound worldwide, may contribute to stress resilience in mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) through the gut-microbiota-brain axis. The study found that MDMA treatment prevented the negative effects of CSDS, such as splenomegaly, anhedonia-like phenotype, and increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the mice. Gut microbiome analysis revealed differences between the saline + CSDS group and the MDMA + CSDS group, while metabolomics analysis showed altered plasma levels of N-epsilon-methyl-L-lysine in the saline + CSDS group compared to the control and MDMA + CSDS groups.