Effects of intranasal cocaine on sympathetic nerve discharge in humans

Tage N. Jacobsen, Paul A. Grayburn, Richard W. Snyder, Jim Hansen, Bahman Chavoshan, Charles Landau, Richard A. Lange, L. David Hillis, Ronald G. Victor

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cocaine-induced cardiovascular emergencies are mediated by excessive adrenergic stimulation. Animal studies suggest that cocaine not only blocks norepinephrine reuptake peripherally but also inhibits the baroreceptors, thereby reflexively increasing sympathetic nerve discharge. However, the effect of cocaine on sympathetic nerve discharge in humans is unknown. In 12 healthy volunteers, we recorded blood pressure and sympathetic nerve discharge to the skeletal muscle vasculature using intraneural microelectrodes (peroneal nerve) during intranasal cocaine (2 mg/kg, n = 8) or lidocaine (2%, n = 4), an internal local anesthetic control, or intravenous phenylephrine (0.5-2.0 μg/kg, n = 4), an internal sympathomimetic control. Experiments were repeated while minimizing the cocaine-induced rise in blood pressure with intravenous nitroprusside to negate sinoaortic baroreceptor stimulation. After lidocaine, blood pressure and sympathetic nerve discharge were unchanged. After cocaine, blood pressure increased abruptly and remained elevated for 60 min while sympathetic nerve discharge initially was unchanged and then decreased progressively over 60 min to a nadir that was only 2±1% of baseline (P <0.05); however, plasma venous norepinephrine concentrations (n = 5) were unchanged up to 60 min after cocaine. Sympathetic nerve discharge fell more rapidly but to the same nadir when blood pressure was increased similarly with phenylephrine. When the cocaine-induced increase in blood pressure was minimized (nitroprusside), sympathetic nerve discharge did not decrease but rather increased by 2.9 times over baseline (P <0.05). Baroreflex gain was comparable before and after cocaine. We conclude that in conscious humans the primary effect of intranasal cocaine is to increase sympathetic nerve discharge to the skeletal muscle bed. Furthermore, sinoaortic baroreflexes play a pivotal role in modulating the cocaine-induced sympathetic excitation. The interplay between these excitatory and inhibitory neural influences determines the net effect of cocaine on sympathetic discharge targeted to the human skeletal muscle circulation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)628-634
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation
Volume99
Issue number4
StatePublished - Feb 15 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • baroreceptors
  • cocaine
  • microelectrodes
  • sympathetic nervous system

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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