Role of ethanol exposure on cocaine metabolism in rat hepatocytes

Cocaine remains a widely abused illicit substance in our society. Cocaine hepatotoxicity has been linked to cocaine metabolism. Cocaine can undergo hydrolytic inactivation via plasma and hepatic esterases or it can be N-oxidized by cytochrome P-450 and FAD-containing monooxygenases. Ethanol is frequently used in combination with cocaine. The presence of ethanol can affect the metabolism of other agents, depending on the dose and duration of exposure. In this investigation, hepatocytes isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats were utilized to study the effect of ethanol exposure on cocaine metabolism. Hepatocytes were isolated using a two-step collagenase perfusion system. Hepatocytes (2 x 10(6) cells ml(-1)) were exposed to cocaine, ethanol or the combination of cocaine and ethanol for a 2-h period in a shaking water-bath at 30 oscillations per minute maintained at 37 degrees C. Sodium fluoride (NaF) was added to aliquots of cells which were removed from the incubation following 30, 60 and 120 min. The cells were homogenized on ice and immediately extracted for the quantification of cocaine, benzoylecognine, norcocaine and ethylcocaine by HPLC. Quantitative analysis revealed that there was a time-dependent increase in the disappearance of cocaine from hepatocytes. The rate of cocaine disappearance was not changed when ethanol was included in incubations containing cocaine. However, in the presence of ethanol there was a difference in the quantities of cocaine metabolites produced. When ethanol was included in incubations containing cocaine, the formation of norcocaine and benzoylecognine was less than that formed in hepatocytes exposed to cocaine alone. Additionally, when hepatocytes were exposed to cocaine in combination with ethanol, the formation of ethylcocaine was linear with time. This study revealed that in the presence of ethanol, cocaine qualitative metabolism is altered.