Rapidly developing cocaine-induced peripheral portal liver damage.

Cocaine administration to phenobarbitone treated DBA/2Ha mice caused scattered peripheral portal cell necrosis within 2 h. At 3 h, when this initial lesion had become more widespread, and plasma membrane integrity had been compromised, 15-fold elevations in plasma levels of liver enzymes were observed. Biochemical analysis of liver microsomes showed no changes in the levels of total cytochrome P-450 during the development of hepatic damage, and there was no correlation between microsomal malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation, and liver damage. These results indicate that as liver damage occurs only 2 h after cocaine administration, prompt action is warranted when cocaine overdose is suspected.