en Behavioral Neuroscience Behavioral Neuroscience Original Original <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Introduction</strong>: The administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy causes memory impairment, whereas neurogenesis improves memory and learning. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of MDMA on neurogenesis in the hippocampus of male rats.<br> <strong>Methods</strong>: Adult male Wistar rats received Intraperitoneal (IP) injections of MDMA (10 mg/kg). We assessed nestin, sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2), and NeuroD expressions according to the immunohistochemistry analyses.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Results</strong>: MDMA reduced the expressions of nestin, Sox2, and NeuroD compared with the control groups. The reduction in NeuroD expression was age-related.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: MDMA possibly has negative effects on neurogenesis, which specifically results from impaired survival of newborn cells.</div> N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, Hippocampus, Nestin, Sox2 Protein, NeuroD Protein 457 464 http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-618-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Sara Soleimani Asl sr_soleimani@yahoo.com 13700319475328460028769 13700319475328460028769 No Endometrium and Endometriosis Research Centre, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Fahimeh Ghasemi Moravej f.ghasemimoravej@gmail.com 13700319475328460028770 13700319475328460028770 No Endometrium and Endometriosis Research Centre, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Golshad Kowsari 13700319475328460028771 13700319475328460028771 No School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Hassan Farhadi mhfarhadi@uswr.ac.ir 13700319475328460028772 13700319475328460028772 No Researcher of Subsance Abuse and Dependence Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Bagher Pourhaydar bagher.pourhaydar@gmail.com 13700319475328460028773 13700319475328460028773 No Department of Anatomy, Neurophysiology Research Center, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. Hatef Ghasemi Hamidabadi hatefdr@gmail.com 13700319475328460028774 13700319475328460028774 No Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Mehdi Mehdizadeh maranaoo2004@yahoo.com 13700319475328460028775 13700319475328460028775 Yes Department of Anatomy, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.