IF YOU have a family history of depression, you should probably think twice about taking ecstasy. The drug appears to trigger depression in people with a genetic susceptibility to the condition.
Ecstasy tricks neurons into dumping large quantities of the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin into the brain. It is thought to work by causing serotonin transporters to reverse direction, pumping serotonin out of neurons instead of sucking it back in.
There are two versions of the serotonin transporter gene, long and short. The short version has already been associated with depression brought on by stressful events. David Rubinsztein and colleagues at…
