title: Combined cardiac effects of cocaine and the anabolic steroid, nandrolone, in the rat.
abstract: Despite reports of an increase in the incidence of simultaneous cocaine and anabolic steroid abuse, potential adverse interactions between these two drugs on the cardiovascular system are largely unquantified. Cocaine has been reported to induce coronary vasoconstriction, cardiac arrhythmias and conduction delays. Anabolic steroids have been associated with cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension. Utilising both in vivo (radiotelemetry) and in vitro (isolated Langendorff-perfused heart) techniques, our aim was to determine whether anabolic steroids cause cardiac hypertrophy and alter cardiac function, and consequently alter the response of the heart to cocaine. It was found that 15 days of treatment of rats with nandrolone decanoate (20 mg/kg, s.c.) was not sufficient to cause hypertrophy, alter cardiac function or the spread of electrical activity through the heart. However, nandrolone pretreatment was found to significantly potentiate the heart rate response to cocaine (45 mg/kg, i.p.) in vivo. This study indicates that nandrolone significantly elevates the heart rate response to high dose cocaine without changing heart morphology. The mechanism of this interaction remains uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, University of Adelaide, Frome Road, 5000, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Phillis
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010477:Perfusion; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D009277:Nandrolone; D003042:Cocaine