Chronic cocaine exposure induces putamen glutamate and glutamine metabolite abnormalities in squirrel monkeys.

Rationale: Chronic cocaine exposure has been associated with progressive brain structural and functional changes. Clarifying mechanisms underlying cocaine's progressive brain effects may help in the development of effective cocaine abuse treatments.

Objectives: We used a controlled squirrel monkey model of chronic cocaine exposure (45 mg/kg/week for 9 months) combined with ultra-high magnetic field (9.

Reduced Plasma Nitric Oxide End Products in Cocaine-dependent Men.

Chronic cocaine abusers experience brain and peripheral vascular dysfunction, the severity of which tends to be greater in men than women. The mechanisms underlying these effects of cocaine are unknown. Because nitric oxide (NO) abnormalities play key roles in development of vascular dysfunction in several disorders, we determined whether vascular nitric oxide end product (NOx) levels, which can serve as markers of systemic vascular NO production, are reduced in cocaine-dependent (CD) subjects.