Carvedilol affects the physiological and behavioral response to smoked cocaine in humans

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 69 - 76
• Main Authors: Sofuoglu, Mehmet, Brown, Scott, Babb, David A., Pentel, Paul R., Hatsukami, Dorothy K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-07-2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adrenergic Antagonists - pharmacology; Adrenergic Antagonists - therapeutic use; Adrenergic receptors; Adult; Behavioural responses; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Carbazoles - pharmacology; Carbazoles - therapeutic use; Cardiovascular effects; Cardiovascular response; Carvedilol; Cocaine; Cocaine - administration & dosage; Cocaine - antagonists & inhibitors; Cocaine-Related Disorders - drug therapy; Cross-Over Studies; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - antagonists & inhibitors; Double-Blind Method; Drug abuse; Drug addictions; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Propanolamines - pharmacology; Propanolamines - therapeutic use; Self-administration; Toxicology; Self-administration; Adrenergic receptors; Cocaine; Carvedilol; Cardiovascular effects; Human; Drug addiction; Vasodilator agent; Detoxification; β2-Adrenergic receptor; Heart rate; Chemotherapy; Alpha blocking agent; β1-Adrenergic receptor; Treatment; Antihypertensive agent; Blood pressure; Hemodynamics; Beta blocking agent
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/S0376-8716(00)80009-5

The noradrenergic system is implicated in mediating some of the physiological effects of cocaine. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether treatment with an adrenergic blocker, carvedilol, which would be expected to attenuate the physiological effects of cocaine, would also attenuate the subjective and behavioral response to cocaine in humans. Twelve crack cocaine users participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled outpatient study. Acute treatment with 50 mg of oral carvedilol attenuated the smoked cocaine-induced increases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The number of cocaine self-administrations was lower under 25 mg carvedilol treatment condition compared with 50 mg carvedilol or placebo treatment conditions. The subjective responses to smoked cocaine deliveries were not affected by carvedilol treatment. These results suggest that acute treatment with carvedilol attenuates the physiological effects of smoked cocaine. The effects of carvedilol on cocaine self-administration need to be studied further.