PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Peter R. Stout AU - James A. Ruth TI - Deposition of [<sup>3</sup>H]Cocaine, [<sup>3</sup>H]Nicotine, and [<sup>3</sup>H]Flunitrazepam in Mouse Hair Melanosomes after Systemic Administration DP - 1999 Jun 01 TA - Drug Metabolism and Disposition PG - 731--735 VI - 27 IP - 6 4099 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/27/6/731.short 4100 - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/27/6/731.full SO - Drug Metab Dispos1999 Jun 01; 27 AB - Microautoradiography was employed to show that association of drugs from the serum directly with forming hair pigment is a primary pathway of deposition into the hair. After systemic administration of [3H]flunitrazepam, [3H]nicotine, and [3H]cocaine, association of all three drugs with melanin in the forming hair was observed within minutes of dosage. Sebum was determined to be an insignificant deposition route for all three drugs. Pigmented mice had significantly higher concentrations of all three drugs than did nonpigmented mice. The results provide a better basis for ultimately using hair for reliable analysis of drug and environmental toxin exposure. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics