Citation

Freeling JL, McFadden LM. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020; 212: e108029.

Affiliation

Center for Brain and Behavioral Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, United States. Electronic address: Lisa.mcfadden@usd.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108029

PMID

32408136

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clinical observations suggest an association between methamphetamine (METH) use and cardiovascular disease, but preclinical studies are lacking. The purpose of the current study was to explore changes in left ventricular function as a potential precursor to cardiovascular disease in a rodent model of METH use.

METHODS: Male rats were allowed to self-administer either METH or saline for 9 d. On the day following the 4th and 9th self-administration sessions, an echocardiogram was performed to assess left-ventricular parameters under basal conditions and following a low-dose of METH (1 mg/kg).

RESULTS: A low challenge dose of METH resulted in subtle but statistically significant changes in cardiac function during the echocardiogram in both the METH and saline self-administering groups. Further, differences in left-ventricular parameters such as stroke volume and heart rate were observed between METH and saline groups following the 9th self-administration session. Finally, supervised machine learning correctly predicted the self-administration group assignment (saline or METH) using cardiac parameters following the 9th self-administration session.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study suggest the heart, specifically the left ventricle, is sensitive to METH. Overall, these findings and emerging clinical observations highlight the need for research to investigate the effects of METH use on the heart.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Echocardiogram; Heart; Left ventricle; Methamphetamine; Self-administration