title: Effects of intravenous cocaine and cigarette smoking on luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and prolactin in men.
abstract: Cocaine and nicotine have a number of similar behavioral and neurobiological effects. This study compared the acute effects of cocaine and cigarette smoking on luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), and prolactin. Twenty-four men who met American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria for cocaine abuse or nicotine dependence were given intravenous cocaine (0.4 mg/kg) or placebo-cocaine, or smoked a low or high nicotine cigarette under controlled conditions. Placebo-cocaine or low nicotine cigarette smoking did not change LH, T, or prolactin. Peak plasma levels of 254 +/- 18 ng cocaine/ml and 22.6 +/- 3.4 ng nicotine/ml were measured at 8 and 14 min, respectively. LH increased significantly after both i.v. cocaine and high nicotine cigarette smoking (P < 0.01). These LH increases were significantly correlated with increases in cocaine and nicotine plasma levels (P < 0.001-0.003), and high nicotine cigarette smoking stimulated significantly greater increases in LH release than i.v. cocaine (P < 0.05). Testosterone levels did not change significantly after either cocaine or after high nicotine cigarette smoking. After i.v. cocaine, prolactin decreased significantly and remained below baseline levels throughout the sampling period (P < 0.05-0.01). After high nicotine cigarette smoking, prolactin increased to hyperpro-lactinemic levels within 6 min and remained significantly above baseline levels for 42 min (P < 0.05-0.03). The rapid increases in LH and reports of subjective "high" after both i.v. cocaine and high nicotine cigarette smoking illustrate the similarities between these drugs and suggest a possible contribution of LH to their abuse-related effects.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. jmendel@mclean.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Jack H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Mendelson
authors.forename: Michelle B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sholar
authors.forename: Nicole H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Mutschler
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaszyna-Gasior
authors.forename: Nathalie V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Goletiani
authors.forename: Arthur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Nancy K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Mello
mesh_terms: D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D013739:Testosterone; D009538:Nicotine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D003042:Cocaine