title: Binding of cocaine in the liver, olfactory mucosa, eye, and fur of pigmented mice.
abstract: The distribution and binding of [3H]cocaine in the tissues of female C57B1 mice have been studied in vivo and in vitro. Autoradiography of freeze-dried tissue sections from mice given iv injections with [3H]cocaine showed that the radioactivity was rapidly distributed throughout the body and selectively localized in the liver, olfactory mucosa, pigmented tissues of the eye, and in the fur. Quantitative determinations showed that the highest concentration of radioactivity was present in the eye, whereas the concentrations of radioactivity were lower in the liver and ethmoturbinates containing the olfactory mucosa. Autoradiography of organic solvent extracted tissue sections showed that these tissues contained nonextractable radioactivity. In vitro experiments confirmed that the liver and ethmoturbinates metabolized [3H]cocaine into products that become bound to the tissue. In fetuses exposed to [3H]cocaine, via the maternal circulation or following injection in utero, there was a homogeneous distribution of radioactivity with the exception of the pigmented tissues of the eye which contained a high amount of radioactivity. It is proposed that the nasal olfactory mucosa and the pigmented tissues of the eye are potential target sites for cocaine toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Uppsala Biomedical Center, Sweden.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Brittebo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D003042:Cocaine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine