PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PRE- AND POST- ADMINISTRATION OF NIFEDIPINE IN COCAINE+ETHANOL–INDUCED FREE RADICAL TOXICITY IN MICE

Gülhan CENGİZ*, Şebnem Ş. ÇEÇEN*, Tülin SÖYLEMEZOĞLU*,º

*Ankara University, Institute of Forensic Medicine, 06260 Dikimevi, Ankara, TURKEY.
oCorresponding Author

Summary :
The objectives of this study were a) to enlighten the toxicity mechanism of cocaine related to free radical formation (50 mg/kg, i.p.), b) to investigate the effect of ethanol (3 g/kg, i.p.) on its toxicity and c) to compare pre- and post-nifedipine administration by the assessments of malondialdehyde (MDA), nonprotein sulfydryl groups (NP-SH) and total sulfydryl (T-SH) levels. All tissue MDA levels in the group dosed with cocaine increased significantly (p<0.001) except for brain MDA level (p<0.05), whereas a decrease was observed in all tissue NP-SH levels (p<0.001) and T-SH levels (p<0.001 in all examined tissues except brain p<0.05). After “ethanol+cocaine” treatment, MDA levels in liver, heart (p<0.001) and brain (p<0.01) increased. The same group had lower NP-SH (liver, heart p<0.001, brain p<0.01 and kidney p<0.05) and T-SH levels (brain p<0.001, liver and kidney p<0.01 and heart p<0.05) compared with both cocaine-administered group and control group. Pre- and post-treatment with nifedipine prevented cocaine-induced increases in MDA levels in all tissues (p<0.001 except heart) significantly. Pre-treatment with nifedipine caused a significant elevation in NP-SH levels only in liver (p<0.001) and heart (p<0.01) and T-SH levels in kidney, heart, brain (p<0.001) and liver (p<0.01). Post-niphedipine administration showed a significant increase in NP-SH levels in liver (p<0.001) and in T-SH levels in liver, kidney, brain (p<0.001) and heart (p<0.05).

Keywords:
Cocaine, Cocaethylene, Oxidative stress, Gluthathione, Nifedipine.