Impact of family history of alcoholism on cocaine-induced subjective effects and pharmacokinetic profile

Rationale: The importance of genetic factors in the development of alcoholi sm has been demonstrated repeatedly. However, the impact of a family histor y of alcoholism on the development of other drug use has been less thorough ly studied. Objective : The present study was conducted to investigate whet her individuals with a positive family history of alcoholism (FHP) differ f rom individuals without a history (FHN) in their pharmacokinetic profile, s ubjective and physiological response to an acute intranasal dose of cocaine (0.9 mg/kg). Mc Methods: Nine FHP and nine FHN male occasional cocaine use rs provided informed consent and participated in this double-blind, placebo -controlled. two-visit study. Responses to cocaine were assessed via a joys tick device, the Addiction Research Center Inventory, visual analog scales and heart rate. Plasma concentrations of cocaine and its metabolites, benzu ylecgonine and ecgonine methylester also were measured. Results There were no significant differences between FHP and FHN subjects in subjective repor ts of intoxication, physiologic responses or plasma cocaine and benzoylecgo nine concentrations following cocaine administration. Plasma levels of the cocaine metabolite ecgonine methylester were significantly higher in FHP su bjects from 50 to 130 min post-cocaine administration compared to FHN subje cts. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that family history of alcoholism d oes not appear to influence the behavioral and physiological responses to a cute cocaine administration, but that some aspects of cocaine metabolism ma y be different between the two groups.