ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2015
Levamisole enhances the rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of cocaine in rats.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neuropharmacology of levamisole and its phase I metabolites: lack of evidence for levamisole-cocaine interactions.Psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Neuroinflammatory history results in overlapping transcriptional signatures with heroin exposure in the nucleus accumbens and alters responsiveness to heroin in male rats.Translational psychiatry · 2024Article
- Levamisole Impairs Vascular Function by Blocking α-Adrenergic Receptors and Reducing NO Bioavailability in Rabbit Renal Artery.Cardiovascular toxicology · 2024Article
- Levamisole-induced and COVID-19-induced retiform purpura: two overlapping, emerging clinical syndromes.Archives of dermatological research · 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
- Use of levamisole-adulterated cocaine is associated with increased load of white matter lesions.Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN · 2021Article
- Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury during Adolescence Enhances Cocaine Rewarding Efficacy and Dysregulates Dopamine and Neuroimmune Systems in Brain Reward Substrates.Journal of neurotrauma · 2020Article
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Aminorex Analogues.ACS chemical neuroscience · 2018Review
- Levamisole: A High Performance Cutting Agent.Academic forensic pathology · 2017Review
- Adolescent Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Chronic Mesolimbic Neuroinflammation with Concurrent Enhancement in the Rewarding Effects of Cocaine in Mice during Adulthood.Journal of neurotrauma · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe Drug Enforcement Agency estimates that 80% of cocaine seized in the United States contains the veterinary pharmaceutical levamisole (LVM). One problem with LVM is that it is producing life-threatening neutropenia in an alarming number of cocaine abusers. The neuropharmacological profile of LVM is also suggestive of an agent with modest reinforcing and stimulant effects that could enhance cocaine's addictive effects.
methodsWe tested the hypothesis that LVM (ip) enhances the rewarding and locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine (ip) using rat conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor assays. Effects of LVM by itself were also tested.
resultsLVM (0-10 mg/kg) produced CPP at 1mg/kg (P<0.05) and locomotor activation at 5mg/kg (P < 0.05). For CPP combination experiments, a statistically inactive dose of LVM (0.1 mg/kg) was administered with a low dose of cocaine (2.5 mg/kg). Neither agent produced CPP compared to saline (P > 0.05); however, the combination of LVM and cocaine produced enhanced CPP compared to saline or either drug by itself (P < 0.01). For locomotor experiments, the same inactive dose of LVM (0.1mg/kg, ip) was administered with low (10 mg/kg) and high doses (30 mg/kg) of cocaine. LVM (0.1 mg/kg) enhanced locomotor activation produced by 10mg/kg of cocaine (P < 0.05) but not by 30 mg/kg (P>0.05).
conclusionsLVM can enhance rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of low doses of cocaine in rats while possessing modest activity of its own.
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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.