Nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors abolish cocaine-induced toxicity in mice

Repeated administration of cocaine (45 mg/kg/day) for 7 days to Swiss-Webster mice resulted in a progressive increase in the convulsive response to cocaine and augmentation in lethality rate. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors, L-NAME (100 mg/kg/day) or NO-Arg (25 mg/kg/day), prior to cocaine administration completely abolished the sensitization to the convulsive and lethal responses to cocaine. These findings suggest a role for NO in cocaine-induced toxicity.