title: Comparative PET studies of the kinetics and distribution of cocaine and cocaethylene in baboon brain.
abstract: Recent studies have suggested that cocaethylene, an active metabolite of cocaine found in blood and postmortem brain of individuals self-administering cocaine and alcohol, may play a role in the increased toxicity seen when coadministering these 2 drugs. We have used positron emission tomography (PET) and carbon-11 (t1/2:20.4 min) labeled cocaine and cocaethylene to compare the short-term kinetics of cocaine and cocaethylene in baboon brain. The regional uptake of [11C]cocaine cocaethylene in baboon brain. The regional uptake of [11C]cocaine ([11C]COC) and [11C]cocaethylene ([11C]CE), 5-8 mCi and 4-6 micrograms, in baboon brain (n = 7) were similar but clearance from whole brain (global, GL) and from striatum (SR), thalamus (TH), and cerebellum (CB) was slower for cocaethylene. Steady-state distribution volumes (DV) were not significantly different in the striatum but were greater for cocaethylene in the thalamus, cerebellum, and whole brain. Debenzoylation of cocaethylene proceeded at about one-third the rate of cocaine, as determined by in vitro incubation of labeled cocaethylene and labeled cocaine with baboon plasma and with purified horse butyryl-cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8). Even though the slower clearance of cocaethylene could lead to longer tissue exposures and potentially accentuated or different physiological effects relative to cocaine, the difference between the 2 drugs is not large. Thus it is more likely that the direct actions of cocaine and alcohol on some organs, rather than cocaethylene, account for this enhanced toxicity.
authors: Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973.
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Fowler
authors: N D
authors: ND
authors: Volkow
authors: R R
authors: RR
authors: MacGregor
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Logan
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Dewey
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Gatley
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D010215:Papio; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: C066444:cocaethylene; D003042:Cocaine