The effect of hyperglycemia on cocaine neurotoxicity and death in mice

Objective: Cocaine toxicity frequently manifests as seizures and status epi lepticus. Frequently, dextrose is administered to patients with cocaine-ind uced seizures. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of pre -existing hyperglycemia on cocaine neurotoxicity and death in mice. Methods : Swiss albino mice received intraperitoneal dextrose at a dose of 1 g/kg ( 12.5%) (hyperglycemic group, n = 98). The euglycemic group (n = 98) receive d an equal volume of 0.9% saline. After 60 minutes, all the animals receive d intraperitoneal cocaine at a dose of 90 mg/kg. The times to onset of atax ia, seizure, and death were recorded in seconds. Times to events were compa red using a Kaplan-Meier method and results were compared using the log-ran k test. The overall percentage outcomes were compared using chi-square. Res ults: The ataxia rates (hyperglycemic 97%, euglycemic 97%, chi(2) = 0, p = 1), seizure rates (hyperglycemic 85%, euglycemic 82%, chi(2) = 0.292, p = 0 .589), and survival rates (hyperglycemic 62%, euglycemic 51%, chi(2) = 0.25 14, p = 0.113) were similar between the groups. The survival following a se izure was significantly higher in the hyperglycemic group (hyperglycemic 57 %, euglycemic 41%, chi(2) = 4.439, p = 0.035). The median ataxia time was e arlier in the hyperglycemic group (190 sec) than in the euglycemic group (1 66 sec) (p = 0.031). Seizures occurred no earlier in the hyperglycemic grou p (331 sec) than in the euglycemic group (342 sec) (p = 0.207). Survival ti mes were not different for the hyperglycemic group (9,133 sec) and the eugl ycemic group (7,593 sec) (p = 0.394). Survival times following seizures wer e not different for the hyperglycemic group (8,095 sec) and the euglycemic group (5,816 sec) (p = 0.0752). Conclusions: In mice with pre-existing hype rglycemia, ataxia occurred earlier and survival following cocaine-induced s eizures was longer than for euglycemic mice. No significant difference in t he overall percentage of seizures and death was detected. Pre-existing hype rglycemia had minimal effect on worsening cocaine toxicity in mice.