COCAINE DETOXIFICATION BY HUMAN PLASMA BUTYRYLCHOLINESTERASE

The ability of human plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) to detoxify c ocaine in vivo was evaluated. Intravenous administration of BChE, at d oses sufficient to increase the plasma levels of the enzyme as much as 800-fold, produced no adverse effects on the cardiovascular, autonomi c, or central nervous systems of rats. Most of the enzyme could be rec overed in the plasma immediately after administration and remained act ive with a beta-t 1/2 of 21.6 +/- 2.4 hr. Pretreatment of chloralose-u rethane anesthetized rats with BChE, 0.1-7.8 mg/kg, decreased the hype rtensive and arrhythmogenic effects produced by cocaine and increased the lethal dose of cocaine by three-to fourfold. Treatment of consciou s rats with 1 and 10 mg/kg BChE decreased the incidence of seizures an d deaths produced by a prior dose of cocaine (80 mg/kg, ip), These res ults suggest that BChE would provide a safe and highly efficacious tre atment for cocaine intoxication. (C) 1997 Academic Press.