Possible Interaction: Cocaine and Hydrocortisone

“These different neuroendocrine response profiles point to important differences between dopaminergic effects of cortisol and cocaine.”

“ Cortisol produced significant increases in craving while cocaine significantly elevated all subjective ratings (ie, craving, high, rush, and low).”

“The rise in cortisol coincided with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure after cocaine.”

“Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that cocaine increases plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and cortisol.”

“ Cocaine produced a mean increase from baseline of 261% for ACTH and 73% for cortisol plasma levels.”

“ Cocaine has been shown to alter circulating levels of the neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, as well as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol.”

“Moreover, cocaine increased plasma prolactin, cortisol and dopamine levels.”

“An inhibition of extraneuronal uptake with hydrocortisone influenced the effect of (−)-phenylephrine neither when present alone nor in the presence of cocaine (additional inhibition of neuronal uptake).”

“Self-administration of cocaine produced dose-dependent increases in cortisol and ACTH.”

“However, the leftward shift induced by cocaine was larger than that induced by hydrocortisone only in early pregnancy, and the leftward shift induced by exposure to both hydrocortisone and cocaine was larger in early pregnancy than at the end of the luteal phase.”