title: Butyrylcholinesterase levels and subjective effects of smoked cocaine in healthy cocaine users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is beginning to attract attention as a possible target for cocaine abuse treatment because of its role in metabolizing cocaine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this analysis was to assess whether endogenous BChE levels are associated with the subjective effects of cocaine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 28 participants in five inpatient cocaine self-administration studies were included in the present analysis. Four minutes after each smoked cocaine dose, participants rated their drug-related effects from 0-100 using a computerized self-report Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The main outcome measures were nine change-in-VAS ratings between a baseline placebo dose and a 25-mg smoked cocaine dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for age, sex, total years of cocaine use, total milligrams of cocaine administered before the 25-mg dose being analyzed, and baseline diastolic blood pressure, endogenous BChE was not significantly associated with any of the nine change-in-VAS ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though BChE appears to be a possible target for cocaine abuse treatment, these data suggest that endogenous levels of BChE may not play a role in modifying the subjective effects of cocaine. Future larger studies of BChE in respect to the subjective effects produced by cocaine are needed to confirm or refute these findings.
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook School of Medicine , Stony Brook , NY .
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Askalsky
authors.forename: Raj K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kalapatapu
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Foltin
authors.forename: Sandra D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Comer
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D055030:Drug Users; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Butyrylcholinesterase; cocaine; pseudocholinesterase; subjective effects