Pharmacological Interaction Between Clonidine and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

January 24, 2013 updated by: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Pharmacological Interaction Between Clonidine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy)

The purpose of this study is to determinate the effect of a pre-treatment with centrally acting alpha2-receptor agonist clonidine on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy"). The investigators hypothesize that clonidine will attenuate the subjective and cardiovascular response to MDMA.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is widely used by young people for its euphoric effects. MDMA releases serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine. It is unknown which of these monoamines mainly contributes to the subjective and physiological effects of MDMA in humans. Clonidine is a centrally acting alpha2-receptor agonist and sympatholytic which attenuates the release of NE from presynaptic nerve terminals and also lowers NE plasma concentration. To determine the role of NE in the response to MDMA in humans we test the effects of a clonidine pretreatment on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of MDMA. We use a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design with four experimental sessions. Clonidine (150 μg) or placebo will be administered 1 h before the administration of MDMA (125 mg) or placebo to 16 healthy volunteers. Subjective and cardiovascular responses will be repeatedly assessed throughout the experiments and plasma samples are collected for pharmacokinetics. We hypothesize that clonidine will significantly attenuate predominantly the cardiovascular response to MDMA.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

16

Phase

  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
      • Basel, Switzerland, 4053
        • Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, University Hospital Basel

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Sufficient understanding of the German language
  • Subjects understand the procedures and the risks associated with the study
  • Participants must be willing to adhere to the protocol and sign the consent form
  • Participants must be willing to refrain from taking illicit psychoactive substances during the study.
  • Participants must be willing to drink only alcohol-free liquids and no xanthine-containing liquids (such as coffee, black or green tea, red bull, chocolate) after midnight of the evening before the study session. Subjects must agree not to smoke tobacco for 1 h before and 4 hours after MDMA administration.
  • Participants must be willing not to drive a traffic vehicle in the evening of the study day.
  • Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at the beginning of the study and must agree to use an effective form of birth control. Pregnancy tests are repeated before each study session.
  • Body mass index: 18-25 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Chronic or acute medical condition including clinically relevant abnormality in physical exam, laboratory values, or ECG. In particular: Hypertension (>140/90 mmHg). Personal or first-grade history of seizures. Cardiac or neurological disorder.
  • Current or previous psychotic or affective disorder
  • Psychotic or affective disorder in first-degree relatives
  • Prior illicit drug use (except THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)-containing products) more than 5 times or any time within the previous 2 months.
  • Pregnant or nursing women.
  • Participation in another clinical trial (currently or within the last 30 days)
  • Use of medications that are contraindicated or otherwise interfere with the effects of the study medications (monoamine oxidase inhibitors, antidepressants, sedatives etc.)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: clonidine, MDMA, placebo
Cross-over within-subjects design with all treatment conditions tested in the same subject. This design has 1 arm but two (actually 4) treatment conditions in the same subject.
Drug: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
125 mg, single dose
Other Names:
  • MDMA
  • Ecstasy
Drug: Clonidine
150 μg per os
Drug: placebo
capsules identical to MDMA or clonidine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effect of clonidine on the subjective response to MDMA
Time Frame: 24 h
24 h

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effect of clonidine on cardiovascular effects of MDMA
Time Frame: 8 h
8 h
Effect of clonidine on pharmacokinetics of MDMA
Time Frame: 8 h
8 h
Effect of MDMA on clonidine pharmacokinetics
Time Frame: 8 h
8 h
Tolerability of MDMA and clonidine
Time Frame: 8 h
8 h
Effect of clonidine on neuroendocrine responses to MDMA
Time Frame: 8 h
8 h

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Genetic polymorphisms
Time Frame: assessed after study completion
Effects of genetic polymorphisms on the response to MDMA
assessed after study completion

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 31, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 2, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

June 3, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 25, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 24, 2013

Last Verified

January 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • EK 353/09

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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