Effects of of 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) on rat liver structure

Introduction: Ecstasy (methylendioxymethamphetamine) is a stimulant drug that has various side effectson nerve system, cardiovascular and immune system. This substance affects body tissues and can causetheir death. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of ecstasy on liver tissues in Wistarrats.Materials and Methods: Fifty Wistar rats, ranging 5-6 weeks of age, were divided into five groups(n=10) including control, sham, experimental 1, 2 and 3. In the experimental groups, the animals wereinjected with the consecutive doses of ecstasy (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg, I.P, for two weeks). The sham groupreceived normal saline and the control group had no injection. Animals were sacrificed 12 hours after thelatest injection of ecstasy. Liver tissues sections were provided and stained by hematoxylin-eosin toinvestigate the histopathological changes.Results: Hepatocytes cells significantly decreased in experiment groups as compared with the controland sham groups (p<0.05). This decrease was more severe with higher doses. The results showed thatnumbers of kuppfer cells and liver weight were increased and the degree of changes depended on the dose.Conclusion: According to the results, ecstasy might cause damages on liver tissue in higher andconsecutive doses. So, this study suggests more attention on using of these kinds of drugs.