Comparative PET studies of the kinetics and distribution of cocaine and cocaethylene in baboon brain

Recent studies have suggested that cocaethylene, an active metabolite of cocaine found in blood and postmortem brain of individuals self‐administering 2 drugs. We have used positron emission tomography (PET) and carbon‐11 (t_1/2: 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 ([¹¹C]COC) and [¹¹C]cocaethylene ([¹¹C]CE), 5–8 mCi and 4–6 m̈g, 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. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.