Levamisole: A Dangerous New Cocaine Adulterant
Levamisole: A Dangerous New Cocaine Adulterant
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DOI：
10.1038/clpt.2010.156
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发表时间：
2010-09-01
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Thomas, J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Chang, A.;Osterloh, J.;Thomas, J.
越来越多的人在街头可卡因中发现左旋咪唑是一种掺假物。最近的报告将街头可卡因中的左旋咪唑与可卡因使用者的粒细胞缺乏症联系起来。众所周知，粒细胞缺乏症与左旋咪唑的治疗使用有关，这可能导致该药从美国市场撤出。左旋咪唑是美国食品和药物管理局批准的药物，已被用作免疫调节剂，化疗辅助剂和驱虫药。在街头可卡因中掺入左旋咪唑的目的尚不清楚，但据推测，左旋咪唑是故意添加的，以增强可卡因的效果。这可能是支持最近的报告，左旋咪唑代谢为氨基雷司在赛马。Aminorex和相关化合物，特别是4-methylaminorex，或“冰”，由于其安非他明样药理活性，具有很高的滥用潜力。这种代谢在人类中尚未报道，因此左旋咪唑在街头可卡因中的预期作用仍然是一个谜。
Levamisole has increasingly been discovered in street cocaine as an adulterant. Recent reports have linked levamisole in street cocaine to agranulocytosis in cocaine users. It is well known that agranulocytosis is associated with therapeutic use of levamisole, and this may have led to the withdrawal of the drug from the US market. Levamisole was a US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that has been used as an immunomodulator, a chemotherapy adjuvant, and anthelmintic medication. The purpose of adulterating street cocaine with levamisole is not known, but it has been speculated that it is added intentionally in order to potentiate the effects of cocaine. This may be supported by the recent report of metabolism of levamisole to aminorex in racehorses. Aminorex and related compounds, specifically 4-methylaminorex, or "ice," have high abuse potential because of their amphetamine-like pharmacological activity. This metabolism has not been reported in humans, and therefore the intended role of levamisole in street cocaine remains an enigma.