HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Volkow, N. D. Articles by Hitzemann, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Volkow, N. D. Articles by Hitzemann, R.

Distribution and Kinetics of Carbon-11-Cocaine in the Human Body Measured with PET

Medical Department and Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York
Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Nora D. Volkow, MD, Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

ABSTRACT

The extent to which the toxic properties of cocaine are related to its accumulation in various organs is not known. This study investigates cocaine uptake in the human body using ¹¹C-cocaine and PET in 14 healthy males. The rate of uptake and clearance of ¹¹C-cocaine varied among organs: peak uptake occurred in the lungs at 45 sec, in the heart and kidneys at 2–3 min, in the adrenals at 7–9 min, and in the liver at 10–15 min. Half-peak clearances were 90 sec in the lungs, 10 min in the heart and kidneys and 22 min in the adrenals. Liver radioactivity plateaued 10–15 min after injection and remained constant thereafter (40 min). Lung radioactivity paralleled that of plasma. The average uptake at peak was 0.007% (s.d., 0.001) dose/cc in the heart, 0.014% (s.d., 0.002) dose/cc in the kidney, 0.014% (s.d., 0.002) dose/cc in the liver and 0.034% (s.d., 0.001) dose/cc in the adrenals. The significant accumulation of cocaine in human heart, kidneys, adrenals and liver could contribute to its toxicity.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. S. Fowler, C. Kroll, R. Ferrieri, D. Alexoff, J. Logan, S. L. Dewey, W. Schiffer, D. Schlyer, P. Carter, P. King, et al. PET Studies of d-Methamphetamine Pharmacokinetics in Primates: Comparison with l-Methamphetamine and ( )-Cocaine J. Nucl. Med., October 1, 2007; 48(10): 1724 - 1732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Du, M. Yu, N. D. Volkow, A. P. Koretsky, J. S. Fowler, and H. Benveniste Cocaine Increases the Intracellular Calcium Concentration in Brain Independently of Its Cerebrovascular Effects. J. Neurosci., November 8, 2006; 26(45): 11522 - 11531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Benveniste, J. S. Fowler, W. Rooney, Y.-S. Ding, A. L. Baumann, D. H. Moller, C. Du, W. Backus, J. Logan, P. Carter, et al. Maternal and Fetal 11C-Cocaine Uptake and Kinetics Measured In Vivo by Combined PET and MRI in Pregnant Nonhuman Primates J. Nucl. Med., February 1, 2005; 46(2): 312 - 320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]