Repeated injection of cocaine potentiates methamphetamine-induced toxicity to dopamine-containing neurons in rat striatum.
Rats were treated with daily injections of saline or cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p. x 15 days) and, beginning 24 h after the last injection, administered saline or methamphetamine (6.25-50 mg/kg s.c., BID x 4 days) and sacrificed two weeks later. Repeated daily administration of cocaine potentiated the long-lasting striatal dopamine depletions caused by methamphetamine. The results suggest that human use of cocaine may increase the likelihood of neurotoxicity resulting from ingestion of high doses of methamphetamine.
Kleven
M S
MS
Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
Seiden
L S
LS
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D008694:Methamphetamine; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid