Cocaine tolerance: behavioral, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine function in men.
Cocaine tolerance was assessed by comparing the acute effects of cocaine in drug-abstinent men who reported occasional cocaine use (n = 6) and in men who met DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for dependence on both cocaine and opiates (n = 6). Peak plasma cocaine levels were equivalent in the two groups, and pharmacokinetic analyses revealed no significant differences in cocaine levels at any time. Cocaine induced a significantly greater increase in ACTH in the occasional cocaine users than in the cocaine dependent men (p < .01). Heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure increases after cocaine were also significantly greater in the occasional cocaine users than in the cocaine-dependent men (p < .05). These neuroendocrine and physiologic differences were paralleled by significantly greater subjective reports of "high" and "euphoria" by the occasional cocaine users (p < .03 to .0001). These data are consistent with the conclusion that tolerance to cocaine's physiologic, neuroendocrine, and subjective effects may occur as a function of chronic use.
Mendelson
J H
JH
McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA.
Sholar
M
M
Mello
N K
NK
Teoh
S K
SK
Sholar
J W
JW
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology
D009294:Narcotics; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003042:Cocaine