Cardiac Histomorphological Alterations in Adult Wistar Rats Following Exposure to 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Pills

Abstract

The Ecstasy pill sold with the trade name ‘molly’ which has 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as the active component, is one of the most popular recreational drugs in parts of Africa. This study was carried out to determine the histomorphological effects of molly on the heart using adult wistar rats as the mammalian model. The study was done on twenty-five adult albino wistar rats which were sacrificed after 21 days of molly administration, the rats were put under light chloroform anesthesia and the Heart harvested for histological processing. The experimental animals were separated into five groups. Each group contained five rats each using 5 big cages to house them. The administration of molly was given orally as follows: Group A (Control) received only normal feed (growers’ mash) and distilled water daily for 21days. Group B-E (Test groups) received growers mash and graded quantities of molly (B, 0.12 mg/kg body weight each; C, 0.18 mg/kg body weight each; D, 0.32 mg/kg body weight each and E, 0.4 mg/kg body weight each) and water was given ad libitum for 21 days. Heart sections were obtained from the rats and processed histologically. The results showed that the weight of the control increased during the period of the study. The mean weight of rats in all groups before the period of molly administration were significantly increased. Group A (Control), group B and C showed normal cardiac muscle, while Group D and E showed section of cardiac muscle showing fragmented myocytes with karyolysis of nuclei surrounded by eosinophilic cytoplasm and features of Myolysis. This study revealed that consumption of molly could result in the distortion and disruption of the microanatomy of the cardiac muscle showing fragmented myocytes with karyolysis of nuclei surrounded by eosinophilic cytoplasm. Molly consumption may be the cause of the various deleterious distortions which occurred in the heart and a necessary reduction in its consumption is required to avoid these effects.