Abstract
The effects of subacute or chronic “binge” pattern administration of cocaine on the levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA in rat hypothalamus and corticosterone concentrations in blood were studied. On day 3 of cocaine administration (15 mg/kg, i.p. at 1 hour intervals × 3 /day), no significant change in hypothalamic CRH mRNA levels was observed in injection-adapted rats. In contrast, this subacute “binge” pattern cocaine administration caused a significant elevation in plasma corticosterone concentrations ( p < 0.001 ). Following 14 days of chronic cocaine administration using the “binge” pattern, the levels of CRH mRNA in the hypothalamus were significantly reduced by 32% ( p < 0.05 ), compared with control animals. This decrease was coupled with a reduction in levels of plasma corticosterone compared to corticosterone levels in the subacute cocaine administration group ( p < 0.01 ). These results suggest that chronic “binge” pattern cocaine administration alters the hypothalamic — pituitary — adrenal response through a hypothalamic CRH-mediated mechanism.
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