Elevated concentrations of dopamine sulfate in plasma of cocaine abusers

This study investigated the effect of cocaine abuse on peripheral catecholamines. Specifically, we measured the concentration of free dopamine, dopamine sulfate, free norepinephrine, norepinephrine sulfate, free epinephrine and epinephrine sulfate in plasma samples obtained from the blood of a group of patients with cocaine addiction (N = 15). The concentrations of free and sulfoconjugated catecholamines in plasma were measured by a radioenzymatic technique. The results of this study revealed significant (P < 0.0001) elevation in plasma dopamine sulfate (8926 +/- 1204 pg/mL) of cocaine addicts upon admission to an in-patient treatment facility when compared with the level of this dopamine metabolite in plasma of control subjects (2356 +/- 121 pg/mL). Furthermore, there was a significant (P < 0.0001) relationship between elevation in plasma dopamine sulfate levels and severity of cocaine use among these patients, and in the majority of cases the plasma levels of dopamine sulfate declined appreciably in time with abstinence from cocaine. In contrast, no appreciable difference was observed in the concentrations of either free or sulfate-conjugated norepinephrine and epinephrine in plasma of cocaine addicts as compared with controls. Differences in plasma dopamine sulfate among these patients versus controls may be interpreted as a reflection of activation of extracellular dopamine metabolism associated with chronic cocaine exposure in humans.