ArticleNeuropharmacology2014
Levamisole and cocaine synergism: a prevalent adulterant enhances cocaine's action in vivo.
Article in Neuropharmacology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- The landscape of cocaine cytotoxicity and the role of sigma-1 receptor modulation and adulterant synergism.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
- Schild Analysis of the Interaction between Parthenolide and Cocaine Suggests an Allosteric Relationship for Their Effects on Planarian Motility.Biomolecules · 2024Article
- Levamisole Impairs Vascular Function by Blocking α-Adrenergic Receptors and Reducing NO Bioavailability in Rabbit Renal Artery.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2024Article
- NETosis Secondary to the Use of Levamisole-Adulterated Cocaine: A Likely Underlying Mechanism of Vasculopathy.Journal of toxicology · 2024Article
- Pulmonary-Renal Syndrome from Levamisole-Adulterated Cocaine-Induced Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA)-Associated Vasculitis: A Systematic Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Application of dose-addition analyses to characterize the abuse-related effects of drug mixtures.Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior · 2022Review
- Double Suicide Due to the Ingestion of Levamisole-Adulterated Cocaine: Case Report and Review of the Literature.Academic forensic pathology · 2022Article
- Penile Necrosis Associated with Local Intravenous Injection of Cocaine.The American journal of case reports · 2022Article
- Kratom pharmacology: Clues from planarians exposed to mitragynine.Physiology & behavior · 2021Article
- Simultaneous multifocal intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in the setting of long-term cocaine usage.BMJ case reports · 2021Article
- A fatal case after an intravenous injection of levamisole.Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2021Article
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Aminorex Analogues.ACS chemical neuroscience · 2018Review
- Levamisole: A High Performance Cutting Agent.Academic forensic pathology · 2017Review
- Levamisole enhances the rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of cocaine in rats.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2015Article
- Stereochemistry and neuropharmacology of a 'bath salt' cathinone: S-enantiomer of mephedrone reduces cocaine-induced reward and withdrawal in invertebrates.Neuropharmacology · 2015Article
- Article
- The future potential for cocaine vaccines.Expert opinion on biological therapy · 2014Review
- A Case of Cutaneous Vasculitis in the Setting of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Cocaine Use.Journal of investigative medicine high impact case reportsArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Levamisole is estimated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to be present in about 80% of cocaine seized in the United States and linked to debilitating, and sometimes fatal, immunologic effects in cocaine abusers. One explanation for the addition of levamisole to cocaine is that it increases the amount of product and enhances profits. An alternative possibility, and one investigated here, is that levamisole alters cocaine's action in vivo. We specifically investigated effects of levamisole on cocaine's stereotypical and place-conditioning effects in an established invertebrate (planarian) assay. Acute exposure to levamisole or cocaine produced concentration-dependent increases in stereotyped movements. For combined administration of the two agents, isobolographic analysis revealed that the observed stereotypical response was enhanced relative to the predicted effect, indicating synergism for the interaction. In conditioned place preference (CPP) experiments, cocaine produced a significant preference shift; in contrast, levamisole was ineffective at all concentrations tested. For combination experiments, a submaximal concentration of cocaine produced CPP that was enhanced by inactive concentrations of levamisole, indicating synergism. The present results provide the first experimental evidence that levamisole enhances cocaine's action in vivo. Most important is the identification of synergism for the levamisole/cocaine interaction, which now requires further study in mammals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.