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Updated: Aug 4, 2026
08:54
A Procedure for Studying the Footshock-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking in Laboratory Rats
Published on: January 6, 2011
Antidotes to lethal cocaine toxicity in the rat
Archives Internationales De Pharmacodynamie Et De Therapie
|May 1, 1990
Summary
Cocaine overdose can cause severe heart and brain damage. Calcium channel blockers and enalaprilat effectively prevented heart damage and improved survival in rats, acting as potential antidotes to cocaine toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Toxicology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Cocaine use is associated with significant risks of lethal cardiac and cerebral damage.
- Understanding potential antidotes for cocaine toxicity is crucial for managing overdose cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of various agents as antidotes to cocaine-induced toxicity in a rat model.
- To investigate the protective effects of different drug classes against cocaine's lethal cardiovascular and cerebral effects.
Main Methods:
- Rats were administered a lethal dose of cocaine (60 mg/kg).
- Selected potential antidotes, including alpha- and beta-blockers, diazepam, angiotensin II inhibitors, and calcium channel antagonists, were administered 5 minutes post-cocaine.
- Cardiovascular parameters were monitored, and incidence of lethality and myocardial infarction was assessed.
Main Results:
- Propranolol, prazosin, labetalol, diazepam, and enalaprilat did not alter cocaine-induced lethality.
- Alpha- or beta-blockers, diazepam, and angiotensin II inhibitors resulted in myocardial infarction in treated animals.
- Calcium channel antagonists (nitrendipine, flunarizine, diltiazem) and enalaprilat prevented myocardial infarction and led to survival without aftereffects.
Conclusions:
- Calcium channel antagonists and enalaprilat show promise as effective antidotes against cocaine toxicity, particularly in preventing myocardial infarction.
- Antagonists targeting the sympatho-adrenal and renin-angiotensin systems may serve as viable antidotes in cocaine toxicity models.
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