Mitotic Effects in Mammalian Cells Due to Cocaine Exposure

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the occurrence of cytotoxic effects induced by cocaine on mammalian cells in vitro considering that habitual insufflation of cocaine may cause extensive destruction of the osteocartilaginous structures of the nose, sinuses and palate, though its pathogenesis is still unknown. Previous Section Next Section METHOD We measured the effect of cocaine in vitro on human epithelial cells (HaCat cells) at different concentrations and times of exposure in 2 groups (case and control). HaCat cells were incubated with 0.1 μM, 1μM, and 10μM of cocaine for 5, 24 and 48 hours. Cells were fixed and studied with immunofluorescence. Previous Section Next Section RESULTS We found a high density of apoptotic events and aberrant mitoses such as abnormal mitotic spindles with multiple poles compared to the control group in a time and dose dependent way. Previous Section CONCLUSION Cocaine exposure of mammalian cells in vitro can induce dose- and time-dependent apoptosis with anomalies in mitotic spindle formation, possibly associated with abnormalities in the number and functioning of centrosomes.