Gender effects following repeated administration of cocaine and alcohol in humans.
BACKGROUND
Use of cocaine, alcohol, and the two drugs simultaneously is common and the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with these drugs is widely reported. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study examined gender differences in response to administration of these drugs alone and in combination.


METHODS
Current users of cocaine and alcohol (n = 17) who met diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV) for cocaine dependence and alcohol abuse or dependence (not physiologically dependent on alcohol) and who were not seeking treatment for substance use disorders gave voluntary, written, informed consent to participate in three drug administration sessions:1) four doses of intranasal cocaine (1 mg/kg every 30 min) with oral alcohol (1 g/kg following the initial cocaine dose and a second drink at +60 min (120 mg/kg) calculated to maintain a plasma alcohol concentration of approximately 100 mg/dL; 2)four doses of cocaine and alcohol placebo; 3) cocaine placebo and alcohol. Pharmacokinetics were obtained by serial blood sampling, physiological measurements (heart rate and blood pressure) were obtained with automated equipment, and subjective effects were assessed using visual analog scales over 480 min.


RESULTS
Responses to cocaine, alcohol, and cocaine-alcohol were equivalent by gender for most measurements. Women had higher heart rates following alcohol administration (p = .02). Women consistently reported higher ratings for "Feel Good:' a measure of overall mental/physical well-being, for all study conditions, reaching statistical significance for cocaine (p = .05) and approaching significance for alcohol administration (p = .1).


CONCLUSIONS
Women showed equivalent responses to drug administration with the exception of perception of well-being, which was significantly increased for women. These findings may have implications for differential risk for acute and chronic toxicity in women.
McCance-Katz
Elinore F
EF
Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Richmond, Virginia 23219, USA. emccancekatz@vcu.edu
Hart
Carl L
CL
Boyarsky
Beth
B
Kosten
Thomas
T
Jatlow
Peter
P
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D003042:Cocaine